Patent · US Expired

Defibrillation apparatus and method

US5817132A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
3References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1997
Grant dateOct 6, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61N1/3987
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An implanted defibrillator continuously monitors a patient's heart to detect the presence of fibrillation and repeatedly, automatically computes the approximate entropy of a series of data representing the fibrillating heart at a moment in time. The first approximate entropy score that meets a predetermined relation with respect to a predetermined threshold value activates an energy delivery system to defibrillate the heart with a low level shock. The process continues until defibrillation is successful. An external defibrillator incorporates the approximate entropy algorithm to achieve low level defibrillation. A method is disclosed which times the delivery of a defibrillating shock to a fibrillating heart to coincide with the moment that the defibrillation threshold is at a minimum.

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