MEANS AND METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF CARDIAC EVENTS

• US 20160128595A1
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: FISCHELL, DAVID R., FISCHELL, TIM A., HARWOOD, JONATHAN, FISCHELL, ROBERT E., JOHNSON, STEVEN R.
• Application Number:
  US15/000,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128595A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A system for detecting cardiac events and alerting the patient of the cardiac event issued by an implanted medical device. A processor detects a cardiac event and issues an activation signal to a patient alerting mechanism which emits an alarm during a first time interval followed by an alarm-off period of time. Reminder alarms are issued periodically following the alarm-off period of time. Reminder alarms are issued during reminder on-periods of time which are shorter than the first time interval. The alarm-off period and the time between periodic reminder alarms are greater than the alarm first time interval. A disabling device permits disabling of reminder alarms.

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;

a processor configured to detect at an emergency cardiac event, by processing the electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s heart;

a patient alerting mechanism connected to the processor for receiving an activation signal from the processor dependent on said processor detection of said cardiac event, the patient alerting mechanism being activated by said activation signal, the patient alerting mechanism configured for;

responsive to said activation signal, emitting an alarm signal having a first number of pulses within a first period of time defining an initial alarm on-period;

the initial alarm-on period being followed by a respective alarm off-period of time devoid of pulses, the patient alerting mechanism being further configured to emit a reminder alarm signal periodically during a predetermined reminder time period following the initial alarm off-time period, wherein each of the reminder alarms occurs during a reminder alarm on-period that is shorter than said first period of time, and wherein the alarm-off period and the time between periodic reminder alarms are both greater than said first period of time, said patient alerting mechanism including a disabling mechanism for disabling said reminder alarm.

2. The system of claim 1 where the periodic reminder time period is greater than 15 minutes.

3. The system of claim 1 where the periodic reminder time period is less than 5 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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