US 4,543,954 A · Exercise responsive cardiac pacemaker

Abstract

An exercise-responsive cardiac pacemaker is provided which physiologically controls the stimulation rate of a heart by sensing the venous blood temperature in the right ventricle of the heart. A temperature sensing means which includes a thermistor produces an output signal which is sent to an algorithm implementing means for implementing the output signal by an algorithm which represents the mathematical function between venous blood temperature in the right ventricle and heart rate in a normally functioning heart. The algorithm implementing means produces an output signal which is variable between a maximum and minimum level corresponding to the desired maximum and minimum levels of heart rate in a normally functioning heart. The algorithm implementing means is also programmable by telemetry after implantation. A cardiac pacemaker is connected to the algorithm implementing means and is responsive thereto in order to variably control the stimulation rate of the heart.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A cardiac pacemaker including means for variably controlling the stimulation rate of the heart according to the level of muscular exertion in the body, comprising:

a sensor means for sensing a body temperature;
a stimulus means for applying an electrical stimulus to a heart;
a control circuit means for calculating dT/dt of said sensed body temperature, said control circuit means including means for generating a rate control signal according to a predetermined algorithm relating heart rate to dT/dt;
and
a cardiac pacemaker connected to said control circuit means and said stimulus means and responsive to said rate control signal to variably control the stimulation rate of the heart.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Exercise responsive cardiac pacemaker

Life of this patent

Exercise responsive cardiac pacemaker

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims4