Automatic determination of optimum electrode configuration for a cardiac stimulator
AssigneePacesetter, Inc.
InventorRichard Lu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an implantable pacemaker or cardioversion/defibrillation device, the optimal electrodes for determining a pacing parameter are found. A test signal is sequentially switched and a response from each of the remaining electrodes is determined. From those responses an optimal electrode or electrode pair is selected and used for pacing parameter determination. If an optimal electrode (a pair) is not found, then a fall back pacing rate is used.
Claims17
A rate responsive implantable pacemaker comprising:
- a sensor sensing electrical activity in the heart and generating corresponding sense signals;
- a pace generator generating pacing pulses to said heart in response to commands;
- a plurality of electrodes for providing signals indicative of said electrical activity to said sensor, delivering pacing signals to said heart from said pace generator and performing a metabolic measurement;
- a metabolic parameter generator generating a metabolic parameter indicative of a metabolic demand of said patient from said metabolic measurement;
- a controller receiving said sense signals, and said metabolic parameter and generating in response said commands;
- and
- an electrode selector selecting an optimized set of electrodes from said plurality of electrodes for performing said metabolic measurement.
An implantable cardiac device comprising:
- an atrial electrode lead terminating in an atrial tip and an atrial ring electrode;
- a ventricular electrode lead terminating in a ventricular tip electrode and a ventricular ring electrode;
- sensor circuitry for sensing atrial and ventricular activity;
- pacing circuitry for generating atrial and ventricular paces in response to commands;
- a controller in communication with said sensor circuitry for generating said commands in response to a pacing parameter;
- a parameter circuit for generating said pacing parameter in response to signals received from at least one of said electrodes, said pacing parameter being dependent on a metabolic demand of said patient;
- and
- an electrode selector for selecting an optimal electrode from said electrodes for generating said pacing parameter and for connecting said optimal electrode to said parameter circuit.
In a dual chamber implantable cardiac device having atrial and ventricular leads each terminating in respective tip and ring electrodes, sensor circuitry for sensing cardiac activity, pacing circuitry for generating cardiac pacing signals and a pacing parameter calculator for generating a pacing command based on a metabolic demand of a patient, a method of determining an optimal electrode for said pacing parameter calculator, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a test signal;
- applying said test signal sequentially to said electrodes;
- detecting corresponding responses to said test signal, using a response detector;
- selecting an optimal response from said responses;
- and
- connecting an optimal electrode corresponding to said optimal response to said pacing parameter calculator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.