System and method for detecting physiologic states based on intracardiac electrogram signals while distinguishing cardiac rhythm types

A method for detecting physiologic states within a patient using an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

• determining a predominant cardiac rhythm type of the patient;
• determining a secondary cardiac rhythm type of the patient, the secondary rhythm type differing from the predominant rhythm type;
• detecting spurious cardiac cycles of the secondary rhythm type;
• sensing cardiac electrical signals via one or more electrodes coupled to a detector incorporated into a housing of the implantable medical device and identifying individual cardiac cycles therein using a predominant cardiac rhythm type determination unit incorporated into a housing of the implantable medical device;
• determining whether individual cardiac cycles correspond to the predominant rhythm type;
• and
• detecting a physiologic state within the patient based on changes in morphological parameters associated with the individual cardiac cycles while excluding spurious cardiac cycles of the secondary rhythm type for the purposes of respiration detection.

A method for detecting physiologic states within a patient using an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

• determining a predominant cardiac rhythm type of the patient;
• sensing cardiac electrical signals via one or more electrodes coupled to a detector incorporated into a housing of the implantable medical device and identifying individual cardiac cycles therein using a predominant cardiac rhythm type determination unit incorporated into a housing of the implantable medical device;
• determining whether individual cardiac cycles correspond to the predominant rhythm type;
• detecting abnormal patient respiration based on cycle-to-cycle changes in parameters associated with individual cardiac cycles;
• and
• training the device to discriminate between normal and abnormal respiration within the patient based on individual cardiac cycles within the patient, the training step distinguishing between cardiac cycles of the predominant rhythm type and cardiac cycles of other rhythm types.

A system for detecting physiologic states within a patient using an implantable medical device, the system comprising:

• a predominant cardiac rhythm type determination unit operative to determine a predominant cardiac rhythm type of the patient;
• a secondary cardiac rhythm type determination unit operative to determine a secondary cardiac rhythm type of the patient the secondary rhythm type differing from the predominant rhythm type;
• a cardiac cycle detection unit operative to sense cardiac electrical signals and identify individual cardiac cycles therein;
• a cardiac cycle discrimination unit operative to determine whether individual cardiac cycles correspond to the predominant rhythm type;
• and
• a predominant rhythm-based detector operative to detect a physiologic state within the patient based on morphological parameters associated with the individual cardiac cycles while excluding all cardiac cycles of the secondary rhythm type for the purposes of physiologic state detection.

A system for detecting physiologic states within a patient using an implantable medical device, the system comprising:

• means for sensing cardiac electrical signals and identifying individual cardiac cycles therein;
• means for determining whether individual cardiac cycles correspond to a predetermined predominant rhythm type within the patient;
• means for determining whether individual cardiac cycles correspond to a secondary cardiac rhythm type within the patient, the secondary rhythm type differing from the predominant rhythm type;
• and
• means for detecting a physiologic state within the patient based on morphological parameters associated with the individual cardiac cycles while excluding all cardiac cycles of the secondary rhythm type for the purposes of physiologic state detection.