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AssigneeSiemens Elema AB
InventorsHans T. Thornander, John W. Poore, Jason A. Sholder, James R. Thacker, David C. Amundson
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A pacemaker and physiological sensor for use therewith that allows the rate at which the pacemaker delivers electrical stimulation pulses to the heart, or the escape interval during which a natural heart event must occur before an electrical stimulation pulse is delivered, to be adjusted as needed in order to satisfy the body's physiological needs. The sensor measures the depolarization time interval between an atrial stimulation pulse, A, and the responsive atrial or ventricle depolarization, P or R respectively, as an indication of the physiological demands placed on the heart. The time interval between a ventricular stimulation pulse, V, and the responsive ventricular depolarization, R, may also be measured and used as an indication of physiological need, and hence as an alternative criteria for rate control. Atrial depolarization is sensed by detecting a P-wave, and ventricular depolarization is preferably sensed by detecting an R-wave. A method of measuring A-P, A-R, or V-R intervals is used to ascertain if these intervals are increasing or decreasing. If, over several heart cycles or beats, an increase or decrease in these measurements is detected, the pacing interval set by the pacemaker is adjusted in an appropriate direction in order to adjust the heart stimulation rate accordingly.
A cardiac pacemaker for controlling the rate at which a heart beats as a function of physiological need, said heart beat rate defining a cardiac cycle during which atrial and ventricular events occur, said pacemaker comprising:
A cardiac pacemaker having means for generating a stimulation pulse, means for generating a pacing interval, means for controllably delivering said stimulation pulse to a heart at the conclusion of said pacing interval, and means for sensing the physiological need of the heart to be paced at a faster or slower rate, said physiological sensing means comprising:
A physiologically-controlled, rate-responsive, demand pacemaker having a pulse generator for selectively generating pacing pulses for delivery to a heart;
A pacemaker having sensing and stimulating means coupled to the ventricle of a heart, said pacemaker comprising
A method for physiologically adjusting the pacing interval of a pacemaker, said pacemaker including means for generating an atrial pacing pulse, means for delivering the atrial pacing pulse to the atrium of a heart, and means for sensing the depolarization of the atrium in response to the delivered atrial pacing pulse, said method comprising the steps of:
A method for physiologically adjusting the pacing interval of a pacemaker, said pacemaker including means for generating a ventricular pacing pulse, means for delivering the ventricular pacing pulse to the ventricle of a heart, and means for sensing the depolarization of the ventricle in response to the delivered ventricular pacing pulse, said method comprising the steps of:
A method for physiologically adjusting the pacing interval of a pacemaker, said pacemaker including means for generating an atrial pacing pulse, means for delivering the atrial pacing pulse so the atrium of the heart, means for sensing the depolarization of the atrium in response to the delivered atrial pacing pulse, and means for sensing the depolarization of the ventricle following the atrial depolarization, said method comprising the steps of:
A method for physiologically adjusting the pacing interval of a pacemaker, said pacemaker including means for generating an atrial pacing pulse, means for delivering the atrial pacing pulse to the atrium of the heart, means for sensing the depolarization of the atrium in response to the delivered atrial pacing pulse, means for generating a ventricular pacing pulse, means for delivering the ventricular pacing pulse to the ventricle of the heart, and means for sensing the depolarization of the ventricle, said method comprising the steps of:
A method for measuring the atrial depolarization time of a heart, said atrial depolarization time being referred to as an A-P interval, said heart being stimulated by an atrial stimulation pulse delivered to the atrium of the heart from a pacemaker through an atrial lead, said atrial lead having first and second spaced-apart electrodes in contact with the atrium, said atrial lead providing electrical contact between an atrial stimulation pulse generator within said pacemaker and said first electrode, and said atrial lead further providing electrical contact between a P-wave sensing amplifier within said pacemaker and said second electrode, said measured A-P interval being usable by said pacemaker as a parameter indicative of physiological need, said method comprising the steps of:
A method for measuring the ventricular depolarization time of a heart, said ventricular depolarization time being referred to as a V-R interval, said heart being stimulated by a ventricular stimulation pulse delivered to the ventricle of the heart from a pacemaker through a ventricular lead, said ventricular lead having first and second spaced-apart electrodes in contact with the ventricle, said ventricular lead providing electrical contact between a ventricular stimulation pulse generator within said pacemaker and said first electrode, and said ventricular lead further providing electrical contact between an R-wave sensing amplifier within said pacemaker and said second electrode, said measured V-R interval being usable by said pacemaker as a parameter indicative of physiological need, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.