Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for utilizing short tau capacitors in an implantable cardioverter defibrillator

US5391186A · kind A · utility

88Cited by
1References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 1993
Grant dateFeb 21, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61N1/3912
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator for treating cardiac dysrhythmias utilizing an interrupted discharge output provided by a switch control means to vary the duty cycle of a switch incorporated within the output circuitry of the implanted cardioverter defibrillator so as to increase the efficiency by extending the duration of the discharge for capacitor systems having time constants, tau, less than about the chronaxie value of the human heart. As a result, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator produces a more favorable rectangular-like waveform from the discharge of a significantly smaller capacitor than the capacitors used in existing implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.