Cardiac rhythm management system providing control of pacing features with a reduced number of variables

• US 20020077668A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Kalgren, James, Kramer, Andrew P., Wentkowski, Rene H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,618,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence

Abstract

A cardiac rhythm management system includes techniques for reducing the number of programmable variables associated with maximum pacing rate so that fewer variables are programmed and a reduction in possible parameter conflict is achieved. In an embodiment, a maximum pacing rate parameter replaces a plurality of conventional, separately programmable pacing parameters. For example, maximum tracking rate, maximum sensor rate, rate smoothing maximum pacing rate, atrial pacing preference maximum pacing rate, and ventricular rate regulation maximum pacing rate are replaced by a single maximum pacing rate with, if necessary, a sensor offset and an atrial pacing preference offset. In another example, rate smoothing maximum pacing rate, biventricular trigger maximum pacing rate and ventricular rate regulation maximum pacing rate are replaced by a single maximum pacing rate.

Claims

1. An electrical signal rhythm management system including a programmer and a rhythm management device, said programmer including a communication unit for downloading a single maximum pacing rate to said rhythm management device, said rhythm management device including a plurality of pacing processes and being adapted to produce a pacing output signal based on at least one of said plurality of pacing processes, said rhythm management device storing said maximum pacing rate and limiting said output signals of at least two of said pacing processes based on said maximum pacing rate.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of pacing processes includes at least two of ventricular tracking, pacing rate smoothing, tracking rate, sensor rate, atrial pacing preference, ventricular rate regulation, and biventricular triggering.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of pacing processes includes atrial pacing preference, wherein said communication unit downloads an atrial pacing preference offset which is used by said rhythm management device to offset said maximum pacing rate to determine a maximum atrial pacing preference rate.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said pacing processes are limited by said single maximum pacing rate.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said cardiac rhythm management device includes an offset for at least one of the pacing processes and alters said maximum pacing rate according to said offset.

6. An implantable cardiac rhythm management device, comprising:

a controller,

circuits connected to said controller, and

at least one lead connected to said circuits,

wherein said controller includes a memory storing only one maximum pacing rate and a plurality of different therapies, said controller outputs a pacing signal to said lead based on said maximum pacing rate and a selected one of said plurality of different therapies.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of different therapies includes at least two of ventricular tracking, pacing rate smoothing, atrial pacing preference, ventricular rate regulation, and biventricular triggering.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of different therapies includes atrial pacing preference, wherein said controller includes an atrial pacing preference offset which is used by said controller to offset said maximum pacing rate to determine a maximum atrial pacing preference rate.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein said maximum pacing rate is a default parameter stored in said memory.

10. A method, comprising:

setting a single maximum pacing rate in a cardiac rhythm management device, and

controlling a plurality of pacing functions of the cardiac rhythm management device by the single maximum pacing rate.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein setting the single maximum pacing rate includes inputting a single maximum pacing rate into a programmer, and transmitting the single maximum pacing rate from the programmer to the cardiac rhythm management device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein setting the single maximum pacing rate includes inputting an atrium pacing rate offset into the programmer, and downloading the atrium pacing rate offset from the programmer to the cardiac rhythm management device;

and wherein controlling the plurality of pacing functions includes offsetting the maximum pacing rate for atrium pacing by the atrium pacing rate offset.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein setting the single maximum pacing rate includes inputting an atrial pacing preference offset into the programmer, and downloading the atrial pacing preference offset from the programmer to the cardiac rhythm management device;

and wherein controlling the plurality of pacing functions includes offsetting the maximum pacing rate for atrial pacing preference by the atrial pacing preference offset.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the plurality of pacing functions includes limiting rate smoothing, biventricular triggered pacing, and ventricular rate regulation by the single maximum pacing rate.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the plurality of pacing functions includes setting a maximum tracking rate, maximum rate smoothing pacing rate and ventricular rate regulation maximum rate equal to the maximum pacing rate.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of pacing functions requires an offset from the single maximum pacing rate, and wherein controlling the at least one pacing function includes offsetting the single maximum pacing rate by the offset.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein controlling the at least one pacing function includes inputting the offset into a programmer and transmitting the offset from the programmer to the cardiac rhythm management device.