Patent · US Expired

Variable atrail blanking period in an implantable medical device

US5735881A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
14References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1997
Grant dateApr 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61N1/3704
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An implantable medical device for electrically stimulating the heart to beat including a pulse generator, a logic and control unit, and an atrial sense circuit. The atrial sense circuit processes signals from electrodes implanted in an atrial chamber of the heart. The atrial sense circuit provides an atrial sense signal to the logic and control unit when the magnitude of electrical activity in the atria exceeds a threshold. The medical device preferably paces the ventricles in response to detected electrical activity in the atria indicative of atrial contraction. Immediately following ventricular pacing, the medical device initiates an absolute atrial blanking period followed by an atrial sensing period and a programmable blanking period. During both the absolute atrial blanking period and the programmable blanking period, atrial sensing is disabled, while during the atrial sense period, atrial sensing is enabled. The time durations of the atrial sensing period and the programmable blanking period are programmable and may be programmed noninvasively while the medical device is implanted. The time durations of the atrial sense period and the programmable blanking period are adjusted…

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