Method and apparatus for controlling pacemaker during automatic capture detection
US5480414A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 13, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jan 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 13, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N1/3712
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A cardiac pacemaker improves battery longevity by automatically providing optimized threshold amplitude and pulse width values. During capture verification and threshold searching, the pacemaker delivers a pacing pulse and a rapid, maximum amplitude backup pulse in case the pacing pulse fails to capture a patient's heart. Unlike the prior art, the backup pulse is delivered before a predefined Vulnerable Period (during which time pacing might lead to re-entrant tachycardia or fibrillation). This results in threshold searching which is quick, accurate and with smaller rate drops during loss of capture. In another aspect of the present invention, a diagnostic strength-duration curve is approximated by first setting the pulse width to a maximum value and determining the amplitude threshold (rheobase), and then by doubling the amplitude and determining the pulse width threshold (chronaxie).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.