Patent · US Expired

System and method of automatically adjusting sensitivity in an implantable cardiac stimulation device

US6539259B1 · kind B1 · utility

36Cited by
6References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 15, 1999
Grant dateMar 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 15, 2019

Classification

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

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for automatically adjusting the sense amplifier sensitivity based on the sensing threshold of the undesired signals (i.e., far-field signals or undesired near-field signals). Specifically, R-wave sensitivity is based on the peak amplitude of the T-waves. Since the relationship between R-waves and T-waves is so repeatable, high confidence is achieved in setting the sensitivity above the T-wave sensing threshold. For atrial sensing, P-wave sensitivity is based on the sensing threshold of R-waves and/or T-waves, whichever is larger. Several embodiments are disclosed for determining the threshold for sensing the undesired signals, such as, double sensing until single sensing occurs, or otherwise detecting the peak amplitude of two or more cardiac signals. Additional error checking may be employed, particularly for atrial sensitivity adjustment, to ensure proper detection of the sensing threshold for the undesired signals in patients with heart block: including analysis of the respective amplitude, cardiac signal duration, and time relationships to appropriately classify the cardiac signals.

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