Implantable cardiac stimulator with safe noise mode
US5978710A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S128/901
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An implantable medical device for electrically stimulating the heart to beat generally includes a processor, a plurality of electrodes, a sense amplifier, a pulse generator, and a heart status monitor. The processor can determine when the patient has entered an environment of high electromagnetic interference. When this occurs, the processor forces the implantable device into a safe noise mode. While in the same noise mode (which preferably continues while the patient is experiencing the electromagnetic interference), the implantable device paces the heart on demand and inhibits pacing during the vulnerable period. The processor determines when the vulnerable period is occurring and when the heart needs to be paced by monitoring a status signal from the heart status monitor. The status signal generated by the heart status monitor preferably is not sensitive to the electromagnetic interference, and thus the processor can determine the bio-mechanical state of the heart during a cardiac cycle even in the face of high electromagnetic interference. The heart status monitor preferably includes an impedance measurement circuit, but may include any type of cardiac sensor that can generate …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.