Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080288030 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING BLOOD VOLUME USING VOLUME RECEPTOR STIMULATION - A system delivers stimulation to volume receptors in the cardiovascular system to induce diuresis in a patient suffering volume overload. The system senses a volume signal indicative of a level of fluid retention in the patient's body and controls the delivery of the stimulation using the volume signal. In various embodiments, the stimulation includes one or more of electrical stimulation, which delivers electrical pulses to the volume receptors, and mechanical stimulation, which physically stretches the volume receptors. | 11-20-2008 |
20090005829 | Measurement of Cardiac Performance Wtih Movement Sensors and Related Methods - Embodiments of the invention are related to implantable devices including movement sensors and related methods for measuring cardiac performance, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable electrical stimulation lead. The electrical stimulation lead can include a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end and a sheath defining a central lumen. The lead body can further include an electrical conductor disposed within the central lumen of the sheath. The stimulation lead can further include a stimulation electrode positioned at the distal end of the lead body, the stimulation electrode in electrical communication with the electrical conductor. The electrical stimulation lead can include an flexion sensor coupled to the lead body, the movement sensor configured to generate a signal in response to movement of the lead body. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of monitoring the condition of a heart failure patient. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of treating unstable arrhythmia in a patient. Other embodiments are also included herein. | 01-01-2009 |
20090025459 | IMPLANTABLE VISCOSITY MONITORING DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR - An apparatus includes an implantable acoustic viscosity sensor configured to acoustically obtain a viscosity signal indicative of a viscosity of a fluid in contact with the viscosity sensor. A viscosity measurement circuit produces a viscosity measurement from the viscosity signal. | 01-29-2009 |
20090036777 | USING ACOUSTIC ENERGY TO COMPUTE A LUNG EDEMA FLUID STATUS INDICATION - Systems and methods for monitoring lung edema fluid status, such as monitoring the presence or absence of pulmonary edema, in a subject using information about responsive acoustic energy echoes from a lung are described. The system comprises, among other things, an implantable device including an acoustic transducer configured to emit acoustic energy to a lung and to receive one or more responsive acoustic energy echoes from a lung. In an example, the implantable device includes a cardiac function management device having an acoustic window in a body thereof. In another example, the implantable device includes one or more subcutaneous leads. An implantable or external processor circuit is configured to receive information about the acoustic energy echoes to compute and provide a lung edema fluid status indication; such information may include an increased number or special pattern of acoustic energy echoes received or a decreased time between successively received echoes. | 02-05-2009 |
20090043289 | DRUG TITRATION UTILIZING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A method for titrating a drug to provide a medical therapy to a patient. The method includes the steps of providing an implantable medical device having a controller, providing one or more implantable sensors configured to sense physical parameters of the patient and configured to transmit signals to the controller. The method further includes the step of receiving signals from the one or more sensors at the controller. The method additionally includes processing the received signals to determine at least two cardiopulmonary characteristics of the patient. The method also includes determining a composite index based on the at least two cardiopulmonary characteristics. In addition, the method includes generating a signal based on the composite index. Medical device systems are also disclosed. | 02-12-2009 |
20090093729 | Devices and Methods for Measurement of Vessel Elasticity and Blood Pressure - Embodiments of the invention are related to devices and methods for measuring arterial elasticity and/or blood pressure, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable medical device having a sensor element that is configured to engage a vessel of a patient. The sensor element is further configured to generate a signal in response to bending of the sensor element, where bending occurs as a result of changes in the pressure within the vessel. The implantable medical device further includes a controller in signal communication with the sensor element, where the controller is configured to store information regarding the signal generated by the sensor element. Other embodiments are also included herein. | 04-09-2009 |
20090099426 | DIFFERENTIATING DECOMPENSATION DETECTION BASED ON CO-MORBIDITIES IN HEART FAILURE - This document discusses, among other things, a system comprising a sensor signal processor configured to receive a plurality of electrical sensor signals produced by a plurality of sensors and at least one sensor signal produced by an implantable sensor, a memory that includes information indicating a co-morbidity of a subject, a sensor signal selection circuit that selects a sensor signal to monitor from among the plurality of sensor signals, according to an indicated co-morbidity, a threshold adjustment circuit that adjusts a detection threshold of the selected sensor signal according to the indicated co-morbidity, and a decision circuit that applies the adjusted detection threshold to the selected sensor signal to determine whether an event associated with worsening heart failure (HF) occurred in the subject and outputs an indication of whether the event associated with worsening HF occurred to a user or process. | 04-16-2009 |
20090149719 | System And Method For Performing Remote Patient Risk Assessment Through A Visual Analog Scale - A system and method for integrating qualitative assessment into remote patient management through a visual analog scale is provided. A query is associated to a physiological condition. A visual analog scale includes a linear gradient and, at each end, descriptors for a range of subjective and continuous responses to the query. Assessment data for a patient is obtained. A medical device of the patient is interrogated and stored data is received. The query is displayed with the visual analog scale. An answer to the query includes a point selected between the ends of and along the linear gradient. A distance of the point from one end of the linear gradient is determined. The distance is quantified as a fixed value in proportion to the distance. A risk to the patient is assessed. The stored data and the fixed value are analyzed against the physiological condition to represent patient wellness. | 06-11-2009 |
20090198297 | TRANSEPTAL LEAD - A lead includes a lead body and an electrode disposed proximate a distal end of the lead body. A retaining member is disposed proximate the distal end of the lead and adapted to retain the electrode proximate an interatrial septum when the retaining member is located on a left atrial side of the interatrial septum. | 08-06-2009 |
20090227883 | AUTOMATED HEART FUNCTION CLASSIFICATION TO STANDARDIZED CLASSES - A system and method automatically classifies a patient's heart function status, such as by using an implantable medical device (IMD) to determine a physiological response to activity, and using that information to perform the classification. For example, a physical activity sensor and a physiological sensor are used to automatically classify patients into heart function status classes, such as NYHA classes or ACC/AHA classes. Changes in a patient's classification can be used to monitor heart function status over time and to monitor therapy responsiveness. | 09-10-2009 |
20090281396 | System and Method for Detection of Pulmonary Embolism - Systems and methods provide for ambulatorily sensing pulmonary artery pressure from within a patient, and producing a pulmonary artery pressure measurement from the sensed pulmonary artery pressure. Power is ambulatorily provided within the patient to facilitate sensing of the pulmonary artery pressure and producing of the pulmonary artery pressure measurement. Acute pulmonary embolism is detected based on a change or rate of change in the pulmonary artery pressure measurement. An alert is preferably generated in response to detecting pulmonary embolism. | 11-12-2009 |
20090306486 | SENSING VECTOR CONFIGURATION IN ICD TO ASSIST ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION AND ANNOTATION - An apparatus comprises an implantable cardiac signal sensing circuit, configured to provide a sensed near-field depolarization signal from a ventricle and to provide a sensed a far-field intrinsic atrial signal using a far-field atrial sensing channel, and a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit. The controller circuit includes a P-wave detection module configured to detect an atrial depolarization in the sensed far-field intrinsic atrial signal and a tachyarrhythmia detection module configured to detect an episode of tachyarrhythmia using the sensed near-field depolarization signal and to determine whether the tachyarrhythmia episode is indicative of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) using the detected atrial depolarization and the sensed near-field depolarization signal. | 12-10-2009 |
20100030090 | Methods and Apparatuses for Detection of Myocardial Ischemia Upon Exertion - Various method embodiments of the present invention concern sensing patient-internal pressure measurements indicative of physiological exertion, identifying one or more steady state periods of physiological exertion based on the patient-internal pressure measurements, sensing extra-cardiac response data and cardiac response data corresponding to the one or more physiological exertion steady state periods, respectively comparing the extra-cardiac response data and the cardiac response data to extra-cardiac response information and cardiac response information associated with equivalent levels of physiological exertion intensity of the one or more steady state periods, and determining the likelihood that myocardial ischemia occurred during the one or more steady state periods based on the comparison of the extra-cardiac response data to the extra-cardiac response information and the cardiac response data to the cardiac response information. | 02-04-2010 |
20100036447 | NEURAL STIMULATION FOR ARRHYTHMIA RECOGNITION AND THERAPY - A system and method can sense a tachyarrhythmia, compare the sensed tachyarrhythmia with a ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, provide a ventricular tachyarrhythmia therapy when the sensed tachyarrhythmia satisfies the ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, provide a neural stimulation when the sensed tachyarrhythmia does not satisfy the ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, determine whether the tachyarrhythmia continues during or after the neural stimulation when the tachyarrhythmia is sustained, compare the tachyarrhythmia sensed during or after the neural stimulation with a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) criterion, and provide a ventricular tachyarrhythmia therapy when the sensed tachyarrhythmia does not satisfy the SVT criterion. | 02-11-2010 |
20100056931 | CARDIAC OUTPUT ESTIMATION USING PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE - A system and method sense a pressure signal in a pulmonary artery and compute a stroke volume and cardiac output. A pressure signal is received from an implantable pressure sensor disposed in a pulmonary artery. The pressure signal includes a systolic period and a diastolic period for determining a heart rate (HR) and a heart cycle. An iteratively-updating model can relate pressure signal and HR to a stroke volume (SV) and a cardiac output (CO). The model extracts a mean pulse pressure (MPP) from the PAP signal and receives a patient-specific vascular resistance model parameter and a patient-specific arterial compliance model parameter. CO can be calculated using the HR, the PAP signal, and the model. The vascular resistance model parameter and the arterial compliance model parameter are iteratively updated using the output of the model. | 03-04-2010 |
20100152803 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING NON-SUSTAINING VENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIA - An implantable medical device controls an anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy by detecting a tachyarrhythmia episode from a cardiac signal and analyzing the detected tachyarrhythmia episode in a tachyarrhythmia detection and analysis process to determine whether the anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy needs to be delivered. The tachyarrhythmia detection and classification process includes detection of inhibitory events each indicating that the tachyarrhythmia episode is of a type not to be treated by the anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy or that the tachyarrhythmia episode is not sustaining. The detection of each of the inhibitory events causes the tachyarrhythmia detection and classification process to be restarted or extended, or the delivery of the anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy to be withheld. | 06-17-2010 |
20100222832 | METHODS FOR USING A PULMONARY ARTERY ELECTRODE - According to some method embodiments, a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. According to some method embodiments, a right pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a right pulmonary artery and a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, the right pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. | 09-02-2010 |
20100249865 | Systems and Methods for Anemia Detection, Monitoring, and Treatment - Methods and systems for implantably determining a patient's anemia status and treating anemia are described. Blood viscosity is compared one or more thresholds to determine a patient's anemia status. Therapy, in the form of electrical stimulation therapy or administration of a pharmaceutical delivered to the patient's kidneys or hypothalamus is controlled based on the anemia status. | 09-30-2010 |
20110009746 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PULMONARY EDEMA DETECTION WITH IMPLANTABLE ACOUSTIC DEVICES - A system includes a first implantable acoustic transducer, a second implantable transducer a memory circuit, and a processor. The first implantable acoustic transducer is configured to receive transmitted acoustic energy from a thorax region of a subject and the second implantable acoustic transducer is configured to transmit the acoustic energy to the thorax region. The processor is communicatively coupled to the first acoustic transducer, the second acoustic transducer, and the memory circuit. The processor includes a parameter module configured to measure a parameter of the received acoustic energy, and a trending module configured to trend the measured parameter and to provide an indication of pulmonary edema status of the subject using the parameter trend. | 01-13-2011 |
20110046496 | CARDIAC FORCE SENSOR AND METHODS OF USE - A method and apparatus permit sensing one or more forces exerted by one or more portions of a heart. A force transducer and displacement sensor are disclosed. A movement of one or more portions of a heart can be translated into one or more signals indicative of force. These signals can be used to provide information such as to diagnose or treat one or more conditions. | 02-24-2011 |
20110257547 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY USING CARDIAC IMPEDANCE - This document discusses, among other things, systems, devices, and methods for measuring cardiac impedances and producing one or more resynchronization index parameters each indicative of a cardiac synchrony or asynchrony using the measured cardiac impedances. In one example, the one or more resynchronization index parameters are used to adjust one or more pacing parameters of a cardiac resynchronization therapy. | 10-20-2011 |
20120035486 | DRUG TITRATION UTILIZING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A method of monitoring patient status is disclosed. Electrical signals are received from one or more implanted sensors of a cardiac rhythm management device. Two or more index values are calculated from the electrical signals. A composite index is determined from the two or more index values, and a status notification associated with the composite index is provided. In a system for monitoring patient status, a processor is configured to receive electrical signals from an implanted cardiac rhythm management device, calculate two or more index values from the electrical signals, and determine a composite index from the two or more index values. The system incorporates a memory that is in communication with the processor and an interface in communication with the processor, where the interface is configured to communicate a status notification associated with the composite index. | 02-09-2012 |
20120046565 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ARRHYTHMIA CLASSIFICATION USING ATRIAL SIGNAL MAPPING - An implantable medical device senses a plurality of electrograms from substantially different atrial locations, detects regional depolarizations from the electrograms, and analyzes timing relationships among the regional depolarizations. The timing relationships provide a basis for effective therapy control and/or prognosis of certain cardiac disorders. In one embodiment, an atrial activation sequence is mapped to show the order of occurrences of the regional depolarizations during an atrial depolarization for classifying a detected tachyarrhythmia by its origin. In another embodiment, conduction time between two atrial locations is measured for monitoring the development of an abnormal atrial conditions and/or the effect of a therapy. | 02-23-2012 |
20120136260 | Assessing Autonomic Activity Using Baroreflex Analysis - A method involves implantably detecting changes in posture of a patient's body. Baroreflex responses to the posture changes are determined. An autonomic tone of the patient is determined based on the baroreflex responses. Based on the autonomic tone, various patient susceptibilities to disease may be determined, including susceptibilities to heart disease, arrhythmia, and/or sudden cardiac death. | 05-31-2012 |
20120190992 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTION OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM - Systems and methods provide for ambulatorily sensing pulmonary artery pressure from within a patient, and producing a pulmonary artery pressure measurement from the sensed pulmonary artery pressure. Power is ambulatorily provided within the patient to facilitate sensing of the pulmonary artery pressure and producing of the pulmonary artery pressure measurement. Acute pulmonary embolism is detected based on a change or rate of change in the pulmonary artery pressure measurement. An alert is preferably generated in response to detecting pulmonary embolism. | 07-26-2012 |
20130085401 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DETECTION OF MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA UPON EXERTION - Various method embodiments of the present invention concern sensing patient-internal pressure measurements indicative of physiological exertion, identifying one or more steady state periods of physiological exertion based on the patient-internal pressure measurements, sensing extra-cardiac response data and cardiac response data corresponding to the one or more physiological exertion steady state periods, respectively comparing the extra-cardiac response data and the cardiac response data to extra-cardiac response information and cardiac response information associated with equivalent levels of physiological exertion intensity of the one or more steady state periods, and determining the likelihood that myocardial ischemia occurred during the one or more steady state periods based on the comparison of the extra-cardiac response data to the extra-cardiac response information and the cardiac response data to the cardiac response information. | 04-04-2013 |
20130211266 | DIFFERENTIATING DECOMPENSATION DETECTION BASED ON CO-MORBIDITIES IN HEART FAILURE - This document discusses, among other things, a system comprising a sensor signal processor configured to receive a plurality of electrical sensor signals produced by a plurality of sensors and at least one sensor signal produced by an implantable sensor, a memory that includes information indicating a co-morbidity of a subject, a sensor signal selection circuit that selects a sensor signal to monitor from among the plurality of sensor signals, according to an indicated co-morbidity, a threshold adjustment circuit that adjusts a detection threshold of the selected sensor signal according to the indicated co-morbidity, and a decision circuit that applies the adjusted detection threshold to the selected sensor signal to determine whether an event associated with worsening heart failure (HF) occurred in the subject and outputs an indication of whether the event associated with worsening HF occurred to a user or process. | 08-15-2013 |
20130218221 | METHODS FOR USING A PULMONARY ARTERY ELECTRODE - According to some method embodiments, a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. According to some method embodiments, a right pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a right pulmonary artery and a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, the right pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. | 08-22-2013 |
20130331919 | SYSTEM FOR STIMULATING AUTONOMIC TARGETS FROM PULMONARY ARTERY - Various implantable medical device embodiments stimulate an autonomic neural target from within a pulmonary artery, and comprise at least one electrode, a power supply, a neural stimulator connected to the power supply, and an anchor structure. The neural stimulator is configured to generate a neural stimulation signal for delivery to the neural stimulation target through the at least one electrode. The anchor structure is configured to chronically and securely implant the neural stimulator, the power supply and the at least one electrode within the pulmonary artery. The anchor structure, the neural stimulator, the power supply and the at least one electrode are configured to be implanted through a pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery. In various embodiments, the neural stimulator is configured to be operational to implement a neural stimulation protocol when chronically implanted within the pulmonary artery without a wired connection through the pulmonary valve. | 12-12-2013 |
20140107503 | DIFFERENTIATING DECOMPENSATION DETECTION BASED ON CO-MORBIDITIES IN HEART FAILURE - This document discusses, among other things, a system comprising a sensor signal processor configured to receive a plurality of electrical sensor signals produced by a plurality of sensors and at least one sensor signal produced by an implantable sensor, a memory that includes information indicating a co-morbidity of a subject, a sensor signal selection circuit that selects a sensor signal to monitor from among the plurality of sensor signals, according to an indicated co-morbidity, a threshold adjustment circuit that adjusts a detection threshold of the selected sensor signal according to the indicated co-morbidity, and a decision circuit that applies the adjusted detection threshold to the selected sensor signal to determine whether an event associated with worsening heart failure (HF) occurred in the subject and outputs an indication of whether the event associated with worsening HF occurred to a user or process. | 04-17-2014 |
20140336521 | INTRACARDIAC IMPEDANCE AND ITS APPLICATIONS - A system to measure intracardiac impedance includes implantable electrodes and a medical device. The electrodes sense electrical signals of a heart of a subject. The medical device includes a cardiac signal sensing circuit coupled to the implantable electrodes, an impedance measurement circuit coupled to the same or different implantable electrodes, and a controller circuit coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and the impedance measurement circuit. The cardiac signal sensing circuit provides a sensed cardiac signal. The impedance measurement circuit senses intracardiac impedance between the electrodes to obtain an intracardiac impedance signal. The controller circuit determines cardiac cycles of the subject using the sensed cardiac signal, and detects tachyarrhythmia using cardiac-cycle to cardiac-cycle changes in a plurality of intracardiac impedance parameters obtained from the intracardiac impedance signal. | 11-13-2014 |