ATRIAL AND VENTRICULAR PACER HAVING INDEPENDENT RATE CONTROLS AND MEANS TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT AV DELAY

• US 3,814,106 A
• Filed: 04/14/1972
• Issued: 06/04/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barouh V. Berkovits
• Original Assignee: Barouh V. Berkovits
• Inventors: Berkovits, Barouh V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/244,156
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.6A,2.6R,2.5R,419P,421,422
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed an atrial and ventricular pacer having independent rate and AV delay controls. An adjustable timing circuit is provided to control the rate of the ventricular stimulating pulses. The occurrence of each ventricular beat triggers an atrial pulse generating circuit, an atrial stimulating pulse being generated following a variable time interval. The ventricular rate control circuit includes one potentiometer, and the atrial pulse generating circuit includes two potentiometers connected in series, one of which is ganged to the ventricular rate potentiometer. If the impedance of the ventricular rate potentiometer is increased to increase the ventricular escape interval, then as a result of the ganging of the two potentiometers the atrial pulse delay is similarly increased; thus the AV delay remains constant even as the pacer rate is varied. The second potentiometer in the atrial pulsing circuit is used to vary the AV delay.

Claims

1. An atrial and ventricular pacer comprising ventricular pulse generating means for generating a ventricular stimulating pulse for extension to a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart following the expiration of a ventricular escape timing interval, first potentiometer means for varying said ventricular escape timing interval, means for detecting a spontaneous ventricular beat of a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart or the generation of a ventricular stimulating pulse for synchronizing said ventricular pulse generating means to the beating action of the patient'"'"''"'"'s heart, timing means responsive to the operation of said detecting means for measuring an atrial escape timing interval, second potentiometer means for adjusting the width of said atrial escape timing interval, means responsive to the expiration of said atrial escape timing interval for generating an atrial stimulating pulse for extension to said patient'"'"''"'"'s heart, means for controlling the automatic adjustment of said second potentiometer means when said first potentiometer means is adjusted, wherein said controlling means includes a shaft which is ganged to said first and second potentiometer means, and Wherein said ventricular escape timing interval is a linear function of the setting of said first potentiometer means and the width of said atrial escape timing interval is a linear function of the setting of said second potentiometer means, and said controlling means functions to maintain a constant difference between said ventricular escape timing interval and said atrial escape timing interval.

2. An atrial and ventricular pacer in accordance with claim 1 further including third potentiometer means for adjusting the width of said atrial escape timing interval independent of the width of said ventricular escape timing interval.

3. An atrial and ventricular pacer comprising ventricular pulse generating means for generating ventricular stimulating pulses for extension to a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart, first means for varying the rate at which ventricular stimulating pulses are generated, means for synchronizing said ventricular pulse generating means to the beating action of a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart, timing means for operating in synchronism with the beating action of a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart for measuring an atrial escape timing interval, second means for adjusting the width of said atrial escape timing interval, means responsive to the expiration of said atrial escape timing interval for generating an atrial stimulating pulse for extension to said patient'"'"''"'"'s heart, means for controlling the automatic adjustment of said second means when said first means is adjusted, and wherein the rate at which ventricular stimulating pulses are generated is a linear function of the setting of said first means and the width of said atrial escape timing interval is a linear function of the setting of said second means, and said controlling means is operative to maintain constant the time interval between the generation of an atrial stimulating pulse and the generation of the next ventricular stimulating pulse independent of the setting of the said first means.

4. An atrial and ventricular pacer in accordance with claim 3 further including third means for varying the width of said atrial escape timing interval independent of said controlling means.