METHOD FOR DETECTING AND TREATING VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIA
First Claim
1. A method for treating patient arrhythmias, including the methods of:
- a) providing a subcutaneous pulse generator in a canister having a conductive surface;
b) providing a monitoring circuit in the canister to monitor the patient'"'"'s cardiac signals for arrhythmias; and
c) providing a subcutaneous electrode array to deliver electrical therapy to a patient without a transvenous, intracardiac, or epicardial electrode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for long-term monitoring of cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias is disclosed. The invention includes a pulse generator including means for sensing an arrhythmia. The pulse generator is coupled to at least one subcutaneous electrode or electrode array for providing electrical stimulation such as cardioversion/defibrillation shocks and/or pacing pulses. The electrical stimulation may be provided between multiple subcutaneous electrodes, or between one or more such electrodes and the housing of the pulse generator. In one embodiment, the pulse generator includes one or more electrodes that are isolated from the can. These electrodes may be used to sense cardiac signals.
16 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for treating patient arrhythmias, including the methods of:
-
a) providing a subcutaneous pulse generator in a canister having a conductive surface; b) providing a monitoring circuit in the canister to monitor the patient'"'"'s cardiac signals for arrhythmias; and c) providing a subcutaneous electrode array to deliver electrical therapy to a patient without a transvenous, intracardiac, or epicardial electrode.
-
-
2. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring circuit includes a circuit to sense a bradyarrhythmia event, and wherein the subcutaneous electrode array is configured to deliver at least one pacing pulse to the patient upon detection of the bradyarrhythmia event.
-
3. A method of implanting a subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillator in a patient for treating arrythmias without a transvenous, intracardiac or epicardial electrode, comprising:
-
implanting an electrode subcutaneously in the patient; and placing an electrically active canister subcutaneously in the patient, wherein the canister contains a source of electrical energy and operational circuitry that senses the presence of potentially fatal heart rhythms and has circuitry for delivering electrical cardioversion-defibrillation energy between the canister and the electrode, and wherein the canister is electrically connected to the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for providing anti-arrhythmia therapy via a subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillator and without a transvenous, intracardiac or epicardial electrode, comprising:
-
implanting a canister subcutaneously in a patient, the housing enclosing and containing cardioversion-defibrillation circuitry and defining at least one electrically conductive electrically connected to the cardioversion-defibrillation circuitry; implanting a lead subcutaneously, the lead having a lead electrode formed on a distal end thereof and configured to connect to the canister to electrically interface, the lead electrode to the cardioversion-defibrillation circuitry; and delivering an electrical therapy comprising an anti-arrhythmia waveform from the lead electrode to the at least one electrically conductive surface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of implanting a subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillator in a patient for treating arrhythmias without a transvenous, intracardiac or epicardial electrode, comprising:
-
implanting an electrode subcutaneously in the patient; placing an electrically active canister subcutaneously in the patient, wherein the canister contains a source of electrical energy and operational circuitry that senses the presence of potentially fatal heart rhythms and has circuitry for delivering electrical cardioversion-defibrillation energy between the canister and the electrode, and wherein the canister is electrically connected to the electrode; wherein the operational circuitry can detect the presence of bradycardia rhythm and the canister includes circuitry for delivering electrical cardiac pacing energy when the operational circuitry senses the bradycardia rhythm. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification