Temperature Sensor for a Leadless Cardiac Pacemaker

• US 20120089198A1
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nanostim, Inc (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ostroff, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36514 controlled by a physiological quantity other than heart potential, e.g. blood pressure controlled by two or more physical parameters A61N1/36585
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3655 controlled by body or blood temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

A leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises a housing, a plurality of electrodes coupled to an outer surface of the housing, and a pulse delivery system hermetically contained within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrode plurality, the pulse delivery system configured for sourcing energy internal to the housing, generating and delivering electrical pulses to the electrode plurality. The pacemaker further comprises a temperature sensor hermetically contained within the housing and adapted to sense temperature information, wherein the pacemaker can control electrical pulse delivery at least partly based on the temperature information.

Claims

1. A leadless cardiac pacemaker comprising:

a hermetic housing adapted and configured to be disposed in a chamber of a human heart;

a battery disposed in the housing;

at least two electrodes supported by the housing;

a temperature sensor supported by the housing; and

a controller disposed in the housing and adapted to sense intracardiac information using the two electrodes and deliver stimulation energy from the battery to the electrodes using temperature information from the temperature sensor.

2. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.

3. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 2 wherein the thermistor is bonded to an interior surface of the housing.

4. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 2 wherein the thermistor is mounted on a header assembly of the housing.

5. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises an ASIC and the temperature sensor comprises a semiconductor temperature sensor incorporated into the ASIC.

6. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 4 further comprising a bonded thermal path between the temperature sensor and the housing.

7. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 6 wherein the bonded thermal path is a thermal pad.

8. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is disposed within the housing.

9. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is not directly attached to the housing.

10. The leadless cardiac pacemaker of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is disposed outside of the can.

11. A method for providing electrical pacing signals to a patient'"'"'s heart comprising:

sensing intracardiac information via two electrodes in contact with tissue within a chamber of the heart and supported by a hermetic housing disposed within the chamber;

providing electrical stimulation signals to the heart at a stimulation rate using the electrodes;

sensing temperature with a temperature sensor supported by the housing; and

adjusting the stimulation rate of electrical stimulation signals using a controller disposed within the housing based on the temperature.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a thermistor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a thermistor bonded to an interior surface of the housing.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a thermistor mounted on a header assembly of the housing.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a semiconductor temperature sensor incorporated into an ASIC containing the controller.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a temperature sensor disposed within the housing.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the temperature with a temperature sensor disposed outside the housing.