ARRHYTHMIA PREDICTION BASED ON HEART RATE TURBULENCE

• US 20110106195A1
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kornet, Lilian, Schneider, Raphael
• Granted Patent: US 9,907,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36592 controlled by the heart rate variability

Abstract

In general, the disclosure describes techniques for predicting the occurrence of an arrhythmia based on an indication of heart rate turbulence. An example method comprises sensing a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence, measuring heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter, and predicting an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence;

measuring heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter; and

predicting an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering a therapy, wherein the therapy is configured to at least one of prevent the predicted arrhythmia from occurring, reduce an effect of the arrhythmia, or terminate the arrhythmia.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the therapy comprises at least one of overdrive pacing, antitachycardia pacing, spinal cord stimulation, vagal stimulation, baroreflex stimulation, deep brain stimulation, sympathetic inhibition, or cardiac ganglion stimulation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a therapy delivery circuit in response to predicting the occurrence of the arrhythmia.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an abnormal heartbeat, wherein measuring heart rate turbulence comprises measuring heart rate turbulence resulting from the abnormal heartbeat.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising delivering a signal configured to induce an abnormal heartbeat, wherein identifying the abnormal heart beat comprises identifying the abnormal heartbeat induced by the signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the abnormal heartbeat comprises at least one of a premature atrial contraction or a premature ventricular contraction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring heart rate turbulence comprises calculating at least one of turbulence onset or turbulence slope.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensed parameter comprises cardiac contractility, the method further comprising deriving a plurality of values of an interval between cardiac contractions from the sensed parameter, and wherein measuring heart rate turbulence comprises calculating heart rate turbulence based on the interval values.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the measured heart rate turbulence to a threshold value, wherein predicting the occurrence of the arrhythmia comprises predicting the occurrence of the arrhythmia based on the comparison.

11. A system comprising:

a sensing module that monitors a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence; and

a processor that measures heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter and predicts an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a signal generator that delivers a therapy configured to at least one of prevent the predicted arrhythmia from occurring, reduce an effect of the arrhythmia, or terminate the arrhythmia.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the therapy comprises at least one of overdrive pacing, antitachycardia pacing, spinal cord stimulation, vagal stimulation, baroreflex stimulation, deep brain stimulation, sympathetic inhibition, or cardiac ganglion stimulation.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a therapy delivery circuit, wherein the processer charges the therapy delivery circuit in response to predicting the occurrence of the arrhythmia.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor identifies an abnormal heartbeat and measures heart rate turbulence resulting from the abnormal heartbeat.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a signal generator that delivers a signal configured to induce an abnormal heartbeat, wherein the processor identifies the abnormal heart beat by identifying the abnormal heartbeat induced by the signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the abnormal heartbeat comprises at least one of a premature atrial contraction or a premature ventricular contraction.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor calculates at least one of turbulence onset or turbulence slope.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensed parameter comprises cardiac contractility, wherein the processor derives a plurality of values of an interval between cardiac contractions from the sensed parameter and calculates heart rate turbulence based on the interval values.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor compares the measured heart rate turbulence to a threshold value and predicts the occurrence of the arrhythmia based on the comparison.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor comprises a processor of a medical device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the medical device comprises an implantable medical device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the medical device comprises an external medical device.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor comprises a processor of a programming device.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

control sensing of a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence;

measure heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter; and

predict an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.

26. A system comprising:

means for sensing a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence;

means for measuring heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter; and

means for predicting an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.