Method and apparatus for treating cardiac tachyarrhythmia
US5489293A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1994 |
| Grant date | Feb 6, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N1/3987
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for cardiac defibrillation which utilizes a lower voltage defibrillation output to depolarize the myocardial cells by providing a rapid sequence of defibrillation shocks synchronized with sensed sequential cardiac events or features during an arrhythmia. Each shock may be a conventional monophasic or biphasic pulse. Each of the shocks may be relatively short in duration, i.e. on the order of 0.5 to 3 milliseconds or may be relatively long, i.e. up to about 100 milliseconds. The amplifiers of the sensing circuitry are particularly adapted quickly recover to after each shock is delivered to allow synchronization of the next shock to the next cardiac feature. This is accomplished by using broad band amplifiers which have DC-baseline restoration capability in order to eliminate offsets caused by a preceding shock. A microprocessor in the pulse generator delivers a programmed number of pulses synchronized to the ECG. If a first sequence fails to terminate the arrhythmia, another sequence is delivered at a higher voltage and/or additional pulses are added to the sequence.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.