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AssigneesPacesetter, Inc., Duke University
InventorsRajesh Pendekanti, Patrick D. Wolf
Estimating the term…
A system and method for providing improved defibrillation thresholds. In one embodiment of the invention, following the detection of fibrillation, a pacing pulse train is applied to a pacing electrode placed in the low gradient region of the left ventricular freewall to capture the tissue. In one embodiment, a pacing rate of about 80-95% of the VF cycle length is applied to achieve capture. Once capture of the tissue of the critical region is achieved, a high energy shock is delivered when the captured tissue is in the process of activation. The defibrillation shock is delivered at the end of the pacing train, with a coupling interval of either about 80-95% of the pacing rate (i.e., about 64-90% of the VF cycle length), or, alternatively, about 5-20% of the pacing rate (i.e., about 4-19% of the VF cycle length). In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a sensing electrode array is placed in the low gradient region of the left ventricular freewall to monitor such time as a substantial percentage of the tissue of the low gradient region is in the process of activation, i.e., on the downstroke of the respective EGMs, and then delivering the defibrillation shock at that instant.
A method for delivering defibrillation therapy to a patient's heart comprising the steps of:
A method for delivering defibrillation therapy to a patient's heart comprising the steps of:
A cardiac therapy apparatus for treating a heart in need of ventricular defibrillation, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.