Means and method for the detection of cardiac events

• US 20070249944A1
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Steven, Harwood, Jonathan, Fischell, Tim, Fischell, David, Fischell, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/812,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/366 Detecting abnormal QRS complex, e.g. widening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for the detection of cardiac events that includes an implanted device called a cardiosaver, a physician'"'"'s programmer and an external alarm system. The system is designed to provide early detection of cardiac events such as acute myocardial infarction or exercise induced myocardial ischemia caused by an increased heart rate or exertion. The system can also alert the patient with a less urgent alarm if a heart arrhythmia is detected. Using different algorithms, the cardiosaver can detect a change in the patient'"'"'s electrogram that is indicative of a cardiac event within five minutes after it occurs and then automatically warn the patient that the event is occurring. To provide this warning, the system includes an internal alarm sub-system (internal alarm means) within the cardiosaver and/or an external alarm system (external alarm means) which are activated after the ST segment of the electrogram exceeds a preset threshold.

Claims

1. A system for detecting cardiac events in a human patient, the system including:

at least two electrodes for obtaining an electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s heart;

processor means designed to detect at least one type of cardiac event by processing the electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s heart;

patient alerting means that are activated following the detection of a cardiac event by the processor means, the patient alerting means providing an alarm signal to the patient for a first period of time which is an initial alarm on-period, the initial alarm on-period being followed by an alarm off-period of time during which time the alarm signal is turned off, the patient alerting means also providing a reminder alarm signal to the patient for a reminder alarm on-period of time following the alarm off-period of time.

2. The system of claim 1 where reminder alarm signal which lasts for the reminder alarm on-period is repeated periodically, the time between the periodic reminder alarm signals being an additional alarm off-period.

3. The system of claim 2 where the periodic reminder alarm on-period is greater than 15 minutes.

4. The system of claim 2 where the periodic reminder alarm on-period is less than 5 hours.

5. The system of claim 2 where the alarm off-period after the initial alarm on-period has a different time duration as compared to the time duration of the alarm off-period after a periodic reminder alarm on-period.

6. The system of claim 1 where the alarm off-period of time is at least twice as long as the alarm on-period.

7. The system of claim 1 further including an external alarm system having an alarm disable button.

8. The system of claim 1 where the alarm on-period is less than 10 minutes.

9. The system of claim 1 where at least a portion of the system is implanted in the human patient.

10. The system of claim 1 where the cardiac events detected by the system include acute myocardial infarction.

11. The system of claim 1 where the cardiac events detected by the system include ischemia at an elevated heart rate.

12. The system of claim 1 where the cardiac events detected by the system include low heart rate.

13. The system of claim 1 where the cardiac events detected by the system include excessively high heart rate.

14. The system of claim 1 where the cardiac events detected by the system include arrhythmias.