Implantable pacemaker

• US 20070233200A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maschke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites

Abstract

A pacemaker comprises an implantable pacemaker housing and a pacemaker electrode which is provided for the transmission of stimulation pulses. A switching element, in particular a reversibly actuatable switching element, is provided for interrupting, reducing or limiting a current flowing through the pacemaker electrode, said current being inducible by an external magnetic field. Parts of the pacemaker are coated with a material, in particular a nanostructured material, which counteracts magnetic effects.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A pacemaker used by a patient, comprising:

an implantable pacemaker housing;

a pulse generator arranged in the pacemaker housing that generates a stimulation pulse;

a pacemaker electrode that transmits the stimulation pulse to a heart of the patient; and

a switching element that regulates a current flowing through the pacemaker electrode to the heart of the patient, the current being induced by an external magnetic field.

23. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element is reversibly actuatable.

24. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element interrupts, reduces, or limits the current flowing through the pacemaker electrode.

25. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the external magnetic field is generated by a medical instrument during a medical examination of the patient.

26. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22,

wherein the switching element is a semiconductor switching element, and

wherein the semiconductor switching element is integrated in a circuit.

27. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element comprises a Zener diode or two Zener diodes connected back to back.

28. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element is switched via a telemetry.

29. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element is switched depending on a strength of the external magnetic field or a temperature of the pacemaker electrode.

30. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the switching element comprises a non-ferromagnetic metal component.

31. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein a stimulation frequency of the pacemaker is not dependent on the external magnetic field during a period that the switching element is closed.

32. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22,

wherein a magnet is arranged on the pacemaker electrode for navigating the pacemaker electrode in the external magnetic field, and

wherein the magnet is an electromagnet or a permanent magnet.

33. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22,

wherein a part of the pacemaker is coated with a material to counteract a magnetic effect of the external magnetic field,

wherein the coated part of the pacemaker is the pacemaker housing or the pacemaker electrode, and

wherein the material comprises a nanostructured material.

34. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein a low-pass filter is arranged between an anode and a cathode of the pacemaker electrode.

35. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22,

wherein an identification unit is arranged inside the pacemaker electrode, and

wherein the identification unit is a radio frequency identification chip.

36. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the pacemaker electrode comprises an ultrasound measurement element or an optical coherence tomography measurement element.

37. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein a tip of the pacemaker electrode releases a drug to the patient.

38. The pacemaker as claimed in claim 22, wherein the pacemaker comprises a magnetically actuatable fixing element for fixing the pacemaker electrode.

39. A method for protecting a patient carrying a pacemaker in a medical examination, comprising:

connecting a switching element to a pacemaker electrode; and

operating the switching element to regulate a current flowing through the pacemaker electrode to a heart of the patient, the current being induced by an external magnetic field generated by a medical instrument during the medical examination.

40. The method as claimed in the claim 39, wherein the switching element is reversibly actuatable.

41. The method as claimed in the claim 39, wherein the switching element interrupts, reduces, or limits the current flowing through the pacemaker electrode.