Pacemaker with improved automatic output regulation
AssigneeTelectronics N.V.
InventorsFrancis J. Callaghan, William Vollmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pacemaker which is provided with an improved automatic regulation circuit which is capable of distinguishing between a fusion beat and loss of capture. The failure to sense an evoked potential following a stimulus may be due to either. The cause is determined by generating a high-energy back-up pulse shortly after the stimulus. Failure to capture by the back-up pulse is an indication that there was just a fusion beat; the sensing of an evoked potential is an indication that the stimulus failed to capture.
Claims22
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- means for sensing an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse and responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential for controlling operation of said adjusting means;
- means for determining that operation of said sensing means is unreliable due to the presence of noise;
- and means responsive to operation of said determining means for controlling said pacing pulses to be of predetermined energy.
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- and means for identifying operation of said adjusting means by providing a "signature" which consists of at least two closely spaced pacing pulses.
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for controlling the pacemaker to automatically self-adapt to changing conditions;
- and means for identifying operation of said controlling means by providing a "signature" which consists of at least two closely spaced pacing pulses.
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- means for sensing an evoked potential following generation of a pacing pulse for determining if there has been a loss of heart capture;
- and means responsive to at least three successive operations of said determining means for initiating operation of said automatically adjusting means.
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- means for verifying at least three successive heart captures responsive to the generation of three successive pacing pulses following adjustment of the energy of said pacing pulses;
- and means responsive to operation of said verifying means for increasing the energy of said pacing pulses by a safety margin.
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses;
- means for automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in the direction of increasing energy until heart capture is achieved;
- and means for programming operating parameters of the pacemaker, one of said operating parameters being the starting point for said automatic adjusting means.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- sensing an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse and, responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential, controlling execution of said adjusting step;
- determining that execution of said sensing step is unreliable due to the presence of noise;
- and, responsive to execution of said determining step, controlling said pacing pulses to be of predetermined energy.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- and identifying operation of said adjusting means by providing a "signature" which consists of at least two closely spaced pacing pulses.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- controlling the pacemaker to automatically self-adapt to changing conditions;
- and identifying execution of said controlling step by providing a "signature" which consists of at least two closely spaced pacing pulses.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- sensing an evoked potential following generation of a pacing pulse for determining if there has been a loss of heart capture;
- and, responsive to at least three successive executions of said determining step, initiating execution of said automatically adjusting step.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in order to ensure heart capture;
- verifying at least three successive heart captures responsive to the generation of three successive pacing pulses following adjustment of the energy of said pacing pulses;
- and, responsive to execution of said verifying means for increasing the energy of said pacing pulses by a safety margin.
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses;
- automatically adjusting the energy of said pacing pulses in the direction of increasing energy until heart capture is achieved;
- and programming operating parameters of the pacemaker, one of said operating parameters being the starting point for said automatic adjusting step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.