Automatically configurable minute ventilation sensor
First Claim
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1. A minute ventilation sensing device, comprising:
- excitation current electrodes for imposing a current field in the thoracic cavity;
an exciter for supplying excitation current as an excitation current waveform at a specified excitation frequency and amplitude between the excitation current electrodes;
a plurality of selectable voltage sense electrodes for generating a voltage sense signal corresponding to a potential difference between two points in the thoracic cavity;
sampling circuitry for sampling the voltage sense signal during the excitation waveform at a specified sampling rate that corresponds to the excitation frequency;
circuitry for demodulating and filtering the voltage sense signal samples into a ventilation band to thereby generate a ventilation signal;
circuitry for deriving a signal proportional to minute ventilation from the ventilation signal;
circuitry for detecting noise when no excitation current is supplied and for computing an average noise level; and
, circuitry for selecting a configuration of voltage sense electrodes for use by the device that result in the lowest average noise level.
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Abstract
A minute ventilation sensing device in which transthoracic impedance is measured with voltage sense electrodes during injection of current by excitation current electrodes. The device is capable of operating with different configurations of voltage sense and excitation current electrodes. By computing a signal and/or noise level for a number of available configurations, the electrodes resulting in the highest signal-to-noise ratio may be selected for use by the device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A minute ventilation sensing device, comprising:
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excitation current electrodes for imposing a current field in the thoracic cavity;
an exciter for supplying excitation current as an excitation current waveform at a specified excitation frequency and amplitude between the excitation current electrodes;
a plurality of selectable voltage sense electrodes for generating a voltage sense signal corresponding to a potential difference between two points in the thoracic cavity;
sampling circuitry for sampling the voltage sense signal during the excitation waveform at a specified sampling rate that corresponds to the excitation frequency;
circuitry for demodulating and filtering the voltage sense signal samples into a ventilation band to thereby generate a ventilation signal;
circuitry for deriving a signal proportional to minute ventilation from the ventilation signal;
circuitry for detecting noise when no excitation current is supplied and for computing an average noise level; and
,circuitry for selecting a configuration of voltage sense electrodes for use by the device that result in the lowest average noise level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A cardiac rhythm management device, comprising:
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a sensing channel for detecting intrinsic cardiac activity;
a pacing channel for pacing the heart;
a controller for delivering paces in accordance with a programmed mode as modulated by a minute ventilation sensor;
a minute ventilation sensor, comprising;
excitation current electrodes for imposing a current field in the thoracic cavity;
an exciter for supplying excitation current as an excitation current waveform at a specified excitation frequency and amplitude between the excitation current electrodes;
a plurality of selectable voltage sense electrodes for generating a voltage sense signal corresponding to a potential difference between two points in the thoracic cavity;
sampling circuitry for sampling the voltage sense signal during the excitation waveform at a specified sampling rate that corresponds to the excitation frequency;
circuitry for demodulating and filtering the voltage sense signal samples into a ventilation band to thereby generate a ventilation signal;
circuitry for deriving a signal proportional to minute ventilation from the ventilation signal;
circuitry for detecting noise when no excitation current is supplied and for computing an average noise level; and
,circuitry for selecting a configuration of voltage sense electrodes for use by the device that result in the lowest average noise level.
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13. A method for operating a minute ventilation sensing device, comprising:
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imposing a current field in the thoracic cavity as an excitation current waveform at a specified excitation frequency and amplitude;
generating a voltage sense signal corresponding to a potential difference between two points in the thoracic cavity;
sampling the voltage sense signal during the excitation waveform at a sampling rate that corresponds to the excitation frequency;
demodulating and filtering the voltage sense signal samples into a ventilation band to thereby generate a ventilation signal;
deriving a signal proportional to minute ventilation from the ventilation signal;
detecting noise in the voltage sense signal while no excitation current is supplied and computing an average noise level; and
,selecting a configuration of voltage sense electrodes among a plurality of selectable voltage sense electrodes for use by the device that results in the lowest average noise level. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification