Method of inhibiting cardiac arrhythmias
US4554922A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 1982 |
| Grant date | Nov 26, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N1/3918
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Inhibition of cardiac arrhythmias such as tachycardia and fibrillation is achieved by determining a refractory period after a selected heartbeat during which a stimulus applied to the heart will not propagate a heart response, determining a time within the refractory period after the selected heartbeat for the application of one or more electrical pulses to the heart to inhibit arrhythmic beats, determining a voltage of the electrical pulse as a function of the time which will inhibit the arrhythmic beats, and applying the electrical pulse to an area of the heart at the determined time to inhibit the arrhythmic beats. A plurality of electrical pulses may be employed having various voltage levels related to the times at which they are applied during the refractory period. One or more electrical pulses may be applied after the refractory period, each having a voltage providing a current less than a threshold current which would propagate a heart response.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.