IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC MONITOR UPGRADEABLE TO PACEMAKER OR CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION DEVICE

• US 20100145406A1
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard S. Sanders
• Original Assignee: Richard S. Sanders
• Inventors: Sanders, Richard S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware

Abstract

An implantable cardiac monitor upgradeable to an implantable pacemaker or an implantable cardiac resynchronization device allows the use of a single implantable medical device for monitoring cardiac conditions and later, if needed, for cardiac pacing. The implantable medical device includes a circuit that can be configured, by programming through an external programmer, to either the implantable cardiac monitor or the implantable pacemaker. The implantable medical device is first configured to and used as the implantable cardiac monitor for acquisition of physiological data indicative of a need for a pacing therapy. If the pacing therapy is to follow, the implantable medical device is reconfigured from the implantable cardiac monitor to the implantable pacemaker, thus eliminating the need of using two implantable medical devices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an implantable cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device including;

a device body encapsulating a CRM circuit upgradeable from a monitoring circuit to a pacing circuit after the implantation of the implantable CRM device; and

a header attached to the device body, the header including at least one connector providing for electrical connection to the CRM circuit; and

an implantable adaptor adapted to be connected to the header, the implantable adaptor including a first electrode adapted to sense a far-field electrogram.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable adaptor comprises a second electrode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the header comprises a second electrode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable CRM device comprises a cardiac resynchronization device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external programmer communicatively coupled to the implantable CRM device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the external programmer comprises a device configuration module adapted to generate instructions for upgrading the CRM circuit from the monitoring circuit to the pacing circuit.

7. A method, comprising:

generating instructions readable by an implantable cardiac monitor, the instructions upgrading the implantable cardiac monitor to an implantable pacemaker, including programming a sensing circuit for sensing an intracardiac electrogram; and

transmitting the instructions to the implantable cardiac monitor via telemetry.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein programming the sensing circuit comprises programming a band-pass filter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating instructions for re-allocating memory spaces for program and data storages.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating one or more pacing algorithms.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating a command to execute one or more pacing algorithms stored in the implantable cardiac monitor.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a signal indicative of whether the implantable cardiac monitor has been upgraded to the implantable pacemaker.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the instructions to the implantable cardiac monitor comprises transmitting the instructions when a need to upgrade the implantable cardiac monitor to the implantable pacemaker is indicated, and further comprising:

receiving data acquired by the implantable cardiac monitor; and

analyzing the received data for an indication of the need to upgrade the implantable cardiac monitor to the implantable pacemaker.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the received data comprises analyzing the received data to detect one or more predetermined cardiac arrhythmias.

15. A method, comprising:

generating instructions readable by an implantable pacemaker, the instructions converting the implantable pacemaker to an implantable cardiac monitor, including programming a sensing circuit for sensing a far-field electrogram; and

transmitting the instructions to the implantable pacemaker.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein programming the sensing circuit comprises programming a band-pass filter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating instructions for re-allocating additional memory spaces for data storage.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating instructions for preparing and executing at least one arrhythmia detection algorithms.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the instructions comprises generating instructions for creating an activity log reporting detection of arrhythmias each including a time of occurrence and a type.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a signal indicative of whether the implantable pacemaker has been converted to the implantable cardiac monitor.