IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH INTER-ATRIAL BLOCK MONITORING

• US 20070203420A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Belalcazar, Andres, Patterson, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/512
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/341 Vectorcardiography [VCG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy

Abstract

An implantable medical device includes a voltage measurement circuit to measure a potential difference between implanted electrodes in a thorax of a living being, the potential difference resulting from an electrical P-wave cardiac signal. The implantable medical device also includes a processing unit to calculate a vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal, the vector comprising a magnitude and a direction, and derived from measured potential differences and orientations defined by locations of the implanted electrodes. The implantable medical device further includes a monitoring unit to track a rotation of the vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal. In various implementations, the monitoring unit may use the rotation to detect an inter-atrial block condition.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

a voltage measurement circuit to measure a potential difference between implanted electrodes in a thorax of a living being, the potential difference resulting from an electrical P-wave cardiac signal;

a processing unit to calculate a vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal, the vector comprising a magnitude and a direction, and derived from measured potential differences and orientations defined by locations of the implanted electrodes; and

a monitoring unit to track a rotation of the vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit uses the rotation to detect an inter-atrial block condition.

3. An implantable medical device comprising:

a voltage measurement circuit to measure a potential difference between implanted electrodes in a thorax of a living being, the potential difference resulting from an electrical P-wave cardiac signal; and

a processing unit to calculate an inter-atrial block value based on changes in the measured potential difference.

4. A method of monitoring cardiac pathologies in a human being, the method comprising:

measuring a first vector associated with an electrical P-wave cardiac signal using one or more implanted electrode pairs within the heart;

measuring a second vector associated with an electrical P-wave cardiac signal using the one or more implanted electrode pairs;

calculating a rotation value by comparing the second vector to the first vector, and using the rotation value to estimate fluid decompensation of the human being.

5. A method of detecting fluid decompensation in a human being, the method comprising:

implanting a first electrode pair within the human being, the first electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein a relative location of the first electrode to the second electrode defines a first orientation;

implanting a second electrode pair within the human being, the second electrode pair comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein a relative location of the third electrode to the fourth electrode defines a second orientation;

determining a first component vector by measuring a first voltage between the first and second electrodes and using the first orientation, the first component vector associated with an electrical cardiac event;

determining a second component vector by measuring a second voltage between the third and fourth electrodes and using the second orientation, the second component vector associated with the electrical cardiac event;

determining a resultant vector by combining the first and second component vectors; and

determining a degree of fluid decompensation of the human being by tracking changes in the resultant vector.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the degree of fluid decompensation comprises tracking a magnitude of the resultant vector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the degree of fluid decompensation comprises tracking a direction of the resultant vector.