Implantable cardiac patient monitor

A cardiac monitor for monitoring the physiology of a human heart, said monitor being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• electrode means for establishing electrical contact with the heart;
• sensing means coupled to said electrode means for sensing each heart beat of the heart;
• data generating means coupled to said sensing means for generating electrocardiogram data for each heart beat sensed by said sensing means;
• processing means for processing said electrocardiogram data for each heart beat to generate characterizing data indicative of the physiology of the heart;
• memory means coupled to said data generating means and to said processing means for storing said electrocardiogram data for each heart beat and said characterizing data,
• said processing means further including accessing means for obtaining said electrocardiogram data from said memory means;
• and
• timing means responsive to said sensing means sensing each heart beat for timing a time period, said time period being of sufficient length to permit said electrocardiogram data for each heart beat to be stored in said memory means,
• said processing means being responsive to said timing means completing the timing of said time period before obtaining said electrocardiogram data from said memory means and processing said electrocardiogram data for a corresponding heart beat to assure that said electrocardiogram data for each heart beat is stored in said memory means prior to said processing means processing said electrocardiogram data for each said heart beat.

A cardiac monitor for monitoring the physiology of a human heart, said monitor being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• electrode means including a plurality of electrodes for establishing electrical contact with the heart to detect heart beats of the heart;
• sensing means coupled to said plurality of electrodes for generating a corresponding plurality of electrocardiograms of each heart beat of the heart;
• processing means including arrhythmia detecting means responsive to a first plurality of said plurality of electrocardiograms for detecting arrhythmias of the heart and generating arrhythmia data characterizing said arrhythmias and ischemia detecting means responsive to a second plurality of said plurality of electrocardiograms for detecting ischemia of the heart and generating ischemia data characterizing said ischemia, said second plurality of electrocardiograms being greater than said first plurality of electrocardiograms;
• memory means coupled to said processing means for storing said arrhythmia and ischemia data;
• and
• telemetry means for transmitting said arrhythmia and ischemia data to a nonimplanted external receiver.

A cardiac monitor for monitoring the physiology of the human heart, said monitor being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• a hermetically sealed enclosure, said enclosure defining a cavity having an opened perimeter, and a header sealingly engaging said perimeter;
• first and second electrical conductors covering first and second respective discrete portions of said enclosure for forming first and second sensing electrodes respectively for sensing activity of the heart;
• a third electrical conductor covering a third discrete portion of said enclosure for forming a reference electrode;
• and
• circuit means within said enclosure and coupled to said electrodes for monitoring the activity of the heart sensed by said sensing electrodes.

A cardiac monitor for monitoring the physiology of the human heart, said monitor being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• a hermetically sealed enclosure, said enclosure defining a cavity having an opened perimeter, and a header sealingly engaging said perimeter;
• first and second electrical conductors covering first and second respective discrete portions of said enclosure for forming first and second sensing electrodes respectively for sensing activity of the heart;
• a third electrical conductor covering a third discrete portion of said enclosure for forming a reference electrode;
• and
• circuit means within said enclosure and coupled to said electrodes for monitoring the activity of the heart sensed by said sensing electrodes,
• said header being formed from electrically insulating material and each said first and second electrical conductors comprising an electrically conductive coating covering said discrete portions of said header.

A device which monitors activity of the human heart, said device being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• a hermetically sealed enclosure, said enclosure including a perimeter, and an electrically insulating header sealingly engaging said perimeter;
• at least one electrode for sensing activity of the heart;
• circuit means within said enclosure and coupled to said at least one electrode for monitoring the activity of the heart sensed by said at least one electrode and for generating data indicative of the monitored activity of the heart;
• and
• telemetry means disposed within said header for transmitting said data to a non-implanted external receiver.

A cardiac monitor for monitoring the physiology of a human heart, said monitor being fully implantable beneath the skin of a patient and comprising:

• electrode means for establishing electrical contact with the heart;
• sensing means coupled to said electrode means for sensing each heart beat of the heart;
• data generating means coupled to said sensing means for generating electrocardiogram data for each heart beat sensed by said sensing means;
• processing means for processing said electrocardiogram data for each heart beat to generate characterizing data indicative of the physiology of the heart;
• and
• memory means coupled to said data generating means and to said processing means for storing said generated electrocardiogram data for each heart beat and said characterizing data,
• said processing means including accessing means for obtaining said electrocardiogram data for each said heart beat from said memory means for processing said electrocardiogram data for each said heart beat.