Method and apparatus for detecting a state of imminent cardiac arrhythmia in response to a nerve signal from the autonomic nerve system to the heart, and for administrating anti-arrhythmia therapy in response thereto

US5658318A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Pacesetter AB · SE

Inventors

• Brigitte Stroetmann · Nuremberg, DE
• Konrad Mund
• Siegfried Kallert · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 28, 1995
• Grant date: Aug 19, 1997
• Expiry date: Sep 28, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B5/4836
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device for detecting a state of imminent cardiac arrhythmia, relative to a normal state for a heart, in response to activity in nerve signals conveying information from the autonomic nerve system to the heart, contains a sensor body for sensing neural activity, a comparator with a threshold value forming a condition for the presence of an arrhythmia, the comparator emitting an arrhythmia-indicating output signal depending on whether neural activity meets the condition, and the sensor body being placeable in an extracardiac position for at least one of the sympathetic and vagus nerves. The sensor body directly senses activity in the nerve at that location in direct contact with the nerve. An implanted blood pressure sensing cuff also can be provided which generates signals indicative of blood pressure which can be evaluated in combination with the nerve signals for identifying the state of imminent cardiac arrhythmia.