Heart monitoring device, system and method

• US 20030216657A1
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dahlberg, Kenneth, Obel, Martin, Holmstrom, Nils, Norlin, Anna
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36521 the parameter being derived from measurement of an electrical impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3684 for stimulating the heart at multiple sites of the ventricle or the atrium
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36842 Multi-site stimulation in the same chamber
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36843 Bi-ventricular stimulation

Abstract

A heart monitoring device has a control circuit, the control circuit being adapted to be electrically connected to electrode surfaces arranged at two different positions of the heart. The control circuit derives an impedance value indicative of the impedance between the electrode surfaces. Furthermore, the control circuit is arranged to determine and monitor a relationship between a positive rate of change and a negative rate of change of the impedance value. The device can, in particular, be used to detect and treat a systolic dysfunction of a heart.

Claims

1. A heart monitoring device comprising:

a control circuit having an electrical connection adapted for electrical connection to a first electrode surface disposed at a first position of a heart and to a second electrode surface disposed at a second position of a heart; and

said control circuit deriving an impedance value indicative of an impedance between said first electrode surface and said second electrode surface, determining a positive rate of change of said impedance value at a first portion of a heart cycle, determining a negative rate of change of said impedance value at a second portion of a heart cycle, determining a relationship between said positive rate of change and said negative rate of change, and monitoring said relationship over a plurality of heart cycles.

2. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control circuit determines said positive rate of change at a first point of a heart cycle and determines said negative rate of change at a second point of a heart cycle.

3. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control circuit determines, as said relationship, a ratio between said positive rate of change and said negative rate of change.

4. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said control circuit determines whether said ratio increases or decreases over said plurality of heart cycles.

5. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said control circuit determines whether the absolute value of said ratio increases or decreases over said plurality of heart cycles.

6. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control circuit is adapted for connection to at least one electrical lead and delivers electrical stimulation pulses to a heart via said at least one electrical lead.

7. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control circuit controls delivery of said electrical stimulation pulses dependent on said relationship.

8. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said control circuit controls the delivery of said electrical stimulation pulses to control a systolic time quotient associated with a heart dependent on said relationship.

9. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control circuit increases said systolic time quotient if the absolute value of said ratio decreases.

10. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control circuit decreases said systolic time quotient if the absolute value of said ration increases.

11. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control circuit is adapted for connection to two electrical leads, respectively adapted to be disposed in a left ventricle and a right ventricle of a heart, and wherein said control circuit, within said cycle, delivers stimulation pulses to stimulate both of said left ventricle and said right ventricle.

12. A heart monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a housing in which said control circuit is disposed, said housing being adapted for implantation in a living subject.

13. A heart monitoring system comprising:

a first electrode surface adapted for positioning at a first positioning of a heart and a second electrode surface adapted for positioning at a second positioning of a heart; and

a control circuit electrically connected to said first and second electrode surfaces, said control circuit deriving an impedance value indicative of an impedance between said first electrode surface and said second electrode surface, determining a positive rate of change of said impedance value at a first portion of a heart cycle, determining a negative rate of change of said impedance value at a second portion of a heart cycle, determining a relationship between said positive rate of change and said negative rate of change, and monitoring said relationship over a plurality of heart cycles.

14. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said control circuit determines said positive rate of change at a first point of a heart cycle and determines said negative rate of change at a second point of a heart cycle.

15. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said control circuit determines, as said relationship, a ratio between said positive rate of change and said negative rate of change.

16. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said control circuit determines whether said ratio increases or decreases over said plurality of heart cycles.

17. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said control circuit determines whether the absolute value of said ratio increases or decreases over said plurality of heart cycles.

18. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 13 comprising at least one electrical lead connected to said control circuit, and wherein said control circuit delivers electrical stimulation pulses to a heart via said at least one electrical lead.

19. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said control circuit controls delivery of said electrical stimulation pulses dependent on said relationship.

20. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 19 wherein said control circuit controls the delivery of said electrical stimulation pulses to control a systolic time quotient associated with a heart dependent on said relationship.

21. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said control circuit increases said systolic time quotient if the absolute value of said ratio decreases.

22. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 21 wherein said control circuit decreases said systolic time quotient if the absolute value of said ration increases.

23. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a first lead adapted for a placement in a left ventricle of a heart and a second lead adapted for placement in a right ventricle of a heart, said control circuit being connected to said first and second leads and, within said cycle, delivering stimulation pulses respective via said leads to the left ventricle and the right ventricle.

24. A heart monitoring system as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a housing in which said control circuit is disposed, said housing being adapted for implantation in a living subject.

25. A method for monitoring a heart comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a first electrode surface at a first position in a heart of a living subject;

(b) positioning a second electrode surface at a second position in said heart;

(c) deriving an impedance value indicative of an impedance between said first and second electrode surfaces;

(d) determining a positive rate of change of said impedance value at a first point of a heart cycle of said heart;

(e) determining a negative rate of change of said impedance value at a second point of said heart cycle;

(f) determining a relationship between said positive rate of change and said negative rate of change; and

(g) monitoring said relationship over a plurality of heart cycles of said heart.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein step (d) comprises determining a positive rate of change of said impedance value at a first point of said heart cycle and wherein step (e) comprises determining a negative rate of change of said impedance value at a second point of said heart cycle.

27. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise positioning said first and second electrode surfaces to measure said impedance value across at least a part of a ventricle of said heart.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 comprising measuring said impedance value across the left ventricle of the heart.

29. A method as claimed in claim 25 comprising using said relationship to monitor systolic dysfunction of the heart.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise placing said first and second electrodes in a heart of a patient suffering from congestive heart failure, and monitoring said systolic dysfunction as a symptom of said congestive heart failure.

31. A method as claimed in claim 29 comprising delivering electrical stimulation pulses to the heart to control a systolic time quotient of the heart.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 comprising delivering said stimulation pulses to each of the left ventricle and the right ventricle of the heart.