| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080243201 | PACER WITH COMBINED DEFIBRILLATOR TAILORED FOR BRADYCARDIA PATIENTS - A combination pacer/defibrillator is tailored for bradycardia patients. In one example, its shock-delivery specificity exceeds its sensitivity to shockable ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In another example, its specificity exceeds 95%, or 99%, or even 99.5%. Sensitivity is programmed to a high desired sensitivity value, but only if it can be done without decreasing the specificity below the desired specificity threshold value. This can be conceptualized as “avoiding at all costs” delivering false shocks, even at the expense of failing to deliver a shock to a treatable ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Specificity enhancements include, among other things, inhibiting shock delivery when the patient is breathing or not supine, using multiple channels or a high rate VT/VF detection threshold. The present pacer/defibrillator device could potentially save the lives of bradyarrhythmia patients who are not presently clinically indicated for a defibrillator/pacer, but who have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death due to one or more risk factors. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20090048637 | CLOSED LOOP IMPEDANCE-BASED CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS - This document discusses, among other things, systems, devices, and methods measure an impedance and, in response, adjust an atrioventricular (AV) delay or other cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) parameter that synchronizes left and right ventricular contractions. A first example uses parameterizes a first ventricular volume against a second ventricular volume during a cardiac cycle, using a loop area to create a synchronization fraction (SF). The CRT parameter is adjusted in closed-loop fashion to increase the SF. A second example measures a septal-freewall phase difference (PD), and adjusts a CRT parameter to decrease the PD. A third example measures a peak-to-peak volume or maximum rate of change in ventricular volume, and adjusts a CRT parameter to increase the peak-to-peak volume or maximum rate of change in the ventricular volume. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090124916 | Acoustic physiological sensor - This document describes, among other things, a body having at least one acoustically detectable property that changes in response to a change in a physiological condition, such as ischemia. The body is positioned with respect to a desired tissue region. At least one acoustic transducer is used to acoustically detect a change in physical property. In one example, the body is pH sensitive and/or ion selective. A shape or dimension of the body changes in response to pH and/or ionic concentration changes resulting from a change in an ischemia state. An indication of the physiological condition is provided to a user. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090234406 | SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MODULATING AUTONOMIC TONE - Various system embodiments comprise means for intermittently delivering a sympathetic stimulus, including means for delivering a sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses adapted to increase sympathetic tone during the stress-inducing pacing. The stress-inducing pacing results in a parasympathetic reflex after the sequence of stress-inducing pacing. The embodiment further includes means for delivering neural stimulation to elicit a parasympathetic response or a sympathetic response in a coordinated manner with respect to the sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses. The neural stimulation is timed to elicit the parasympathetic response after the sequence of stress-inducing pacing pulses and concurrent with at least a portion of the parasympathetic reflex to the sequence of stress-inducing pacing to enhance a parasympathetic effect of the parasympathetic reflex, or to elicit the sympathetic response during the sequence of stress-inducing pulses to provide a larger sympathetic stimulus, resulting in an enhanced parasympathetic reflex in response to the large sympathetic stimulus. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090264949 | ELECTROGRAM MORPHOLOGY-BASED CRT OPTIMIZATION - A method and system for determining an optimum atrioventricular delay (AVD) interval and/or ventriculo-ventricular delay (VVD) intervals for delivering ventricular resynchronization pacing in an atrial tracking or atrial sequential pacing mode. Evoked response electrograms recorded at different AVD and VVD intervals are used to determine the extent of paced and intrinsic activation. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090306737 | Atrial Capture Verification - Methods and systems for classifying cardiac responses to pacing stimulation and/or preventing retrograde cardiac conduction are described. Following delivery of a pacing pulse to an atrium of the patient's heart during a cardiac cycle, the system senses in the atrium for a retrograde P-wave. The system classifies the atrial response to the pacing pulse based on detection of the retrograde P-wave. The system may also sense for an atrial evoked response and utilize the atrial evoked response in classifying the cardiac pacing response. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100082078 | CALIBRATION OF ADAPTIVE-RATE PACING USING INTRINSIC CHRONOTROPIC RESPONSE - Calibration of adaptive-rate pacing by a cardiac rhythm management system using an intrinsic chronotropic response. The cardiac rhythm management system may include an adaptive-rate pacing device. The adaptive-rate pacing device may include an adaptive-rate sensor module for measuring an activity level of the individual. A monitor module may be coupled to the adaptive-rate sensor module, the monitor module monitoring an intrinsic chronotropic response. A calculator module may be coupled to the monitor module, the calculator module calculating a calibrated parameter for the adaptive-rate pacing device based on the intrinsic chronotropic response. An adjuster module may be coupled to the calculator module, wherein the adjuster module adjusts the adaptive-rate pacing device based on the calibrated parameter. The parameters of the adaptive-rate pacing device adjusted by the adjuster module may include a sensor rate target, a maximum sensor rate, and a response factor. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100087884 | CARDIAC RHYTHM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH DEFIBRILLATION THRESHOLD PREDICTION - A cardiac rhythm management device predicts defibrillation thresholds without any need to apply defibrillation shocks or subjecting the patient to fibrillation. Intravascular defibrillation electrodes are implanted in a heart. By applying a small test energy, an electric field near one of the defibrillation electrodes is determined by measuring a voltage at a sensing electrode offset from the defibrillation electrode by a known distance. A desired minimum value of electric field at the heart periphery is established. A distance between a defibrillation electrodes and the heart periphery is measured, either fluoroscopically or by measuring a voltage at an electrode at or near the heart periphery. Using the measured electric field and the measured distance to the periphery of the heart, the defibrillation energy needed to obtain the desired electric field at the heart periphery is estimated. In an example, the device also includes a defibrillation shock circuit and a stimulation circuit. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100174335 | Therapy Triggered by Predication of Disordered Breathing - An approach to providing disordered breathing therapy includes providing therapy based on a prediction of disordered breathing. One or more patient conditions are detected and used to predict disordered breathing. Therapy is delivered to mitigate the predicted disordered breathing. The disordered breathing therapy may be adapted to enhance therapy efficacy and/or to reduce the impact of the therapy to the patient. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100179613 | Adaptive Therapy for Disordered Breathing - An approach to providing disordered breathing therapy includes detecting disordered breathing and adapting a therapy to mitigate the disordered breathing. The therapy may be adapted to enhance therapy effectiveness, to provide therapy that reduces an impact of the therapy on the patient, or to achieve other therapeutic goals. Cardiac electrical therapy to mitigate the disordered breathing may include various cardiac pacing regimens and/or delivery of non-excitatory electrical stimulation to the heart. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100198283 | Automatic Orientation Determination for ECG Measurements Using Multiple Electrodes - Cardiac monitoring and/or stimulation methods and systems provide monitoring, defibrillation and/or pacing therapies. A signal processor receives a plurality of composite signals associated with a plurality of sources, separates a signal using a source separation algorithm, and identifies a cardiac signal using a selected vector. The signal processor may iteratively separate signals from the plurality of composite signals until the cardiac signal is identified. The selected vector may be updated if desired or necessary. A method of signal separation involves detecting a plurality of composite signals at a plurality of locations, separating a signal using source separation, and selecting a vector that provides a cardiac signal. The separation may include a principal component analysis and/or an independent component analysis. Vectors may be selected and updated based on changes of position and/or orientation of implanted components and changes in patient parameters such as patient condition, cardiac signal-to-noise ratio, and disease progression. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20110022109 | WIRELESS ECG IN IMPLANTABLE DEVICES - An implantable medical device such as an implantable pacemaker or implantable cardioverter/defibrillator includes a programmable sensing circuit providing for sensing of a signal approximating a surface electrocardiogram (ECG) through implanted electrodes. With various electrode configurations, signals approximating various standard surface ECG signals are acquired without the need for attaching electrodes with cables onto the skin. The various electrode configurations include, but are not limited to, various combinations of intracardiac pacing electrodes, portions of the implantable medical device contacting tissue, and electrodes incorporated onto the surface of the implantable medical device. | 01-27-2011 |
