Arrhythmia recorder for use with an implantable defibrillator
First Claim
1. Apparatus dedicated to a single patient for monitoring the operation of an automatic defibrillator implanted in the patient, the apparatus comprising:
- first detector means responsive to deliverance of defibrillating energy by said implanted defibrillator for triggering the storage of data related to said deliverance of the defibrillating energy;
storage means for durably storing said data;
external receiving means for receiving said data; and
telemetry means for transmitting said data from the patient to said external receiving means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for recording and subsequently reproducing information, such as desired portions of an ECG signal produced by a heart prior to and during the occurrence of a disturbance in cardiac electrical activity. Two basic embodiments of the inventive recorder are contemplated. One embodiment is fully implantable and is encased with sensing and defibrillating electronics. With this embodiment, a low-power, low-capacity, continually updated recorder is continually operative, and a high-capacity stand-by recorder is actuated upon the sensing of fibrillation. An external device is used to retrieve by telemetry, the information stored in the implanted recorder. The second embodiment of the inventive recorder is an external device which has external electrodes for associating with the patient; ECG information is transmitted to the recorder unit by telemetry. Here, because power consumption is not so critical as with the implantable embodiment, a delay-type continually updated memory is continuously operative. Then, when any one of several types of arrhythmias is sensed, or when a defibrillating pulse is delivered, the data in the memory is "permanently" recorded on magnetic tape. Either embodiment may be used with an implantable defibrillator to record and subsequently reproduce information relating to the operation of the implantable defibrillator. The second embodiment also has an alarm capability to warn the patient should there be an interruption in telemetric transmission.
368 Citations
46 Claims
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1. Apparatus dedicated to a single patient for monitoring the operation of an automatic defibrillator implanted in the patient, the apparatus comprising:
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first detector means responsive to deliverance of defibrillating energy by said implanted defibrillator for triggering the storage of data related to said deliverance of the defibrillating energy; storage means for durably storing said data; external receiving means for receiving said data; and telemetry means for transmitting said data from the patient to said external receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. Apparatus dedicated to a single patient for recording data pertinent to the operation of an automatic defibrillator implanted in the patient, said apparatus comprising:
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means for sensing electrical activity associated with the patient'"'"'s heart as a first signal; means for converting said first signal to a digital signal; first memory means having a predetermined number of memory locations for storing said digital signal; means responsive to said first signal for providing a fibrillation signal at the detection of fibrillation; detector means responsive to the deliverance of defibrillating energy into the patient'"'"'s heart for producing a defibrillation signal; means responsive to said fibrillation signal for disabling said first memory means, and for causing said first memory means to hold the digital signal already stored therein; second memory means having a predetermined number of memory locations for storing said digital signal; means responsive to said fibrillation signal for enabling said second memory means; and means responsive to said defibrillation signal for enabling said second memory means. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. Apparatus dedicated to a single patient for monitoring the operation of an automatic defibrillator implanted in the patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a first unit adapted to be worn by the patient, said first unit comprising, sensing means for sensing electrical activity associated with the patient'"'"'s heart as a first signal, and transmitting means for transmitting said sensed first signal; and a second unit capable of easily being carried and moved, said second unit comprising, receiving means for receiving said transmitted first signal, detector means in circuit with said receiving means and responsive to a defibrillation attempt for triggering the storage of data related to said attempt, and storage means for durably storing said data related to said attempt. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. Apparatus dedicated to a single patient for monitoring the operation of an automatic defibrillator implanted in the patient, the apparatus comprising:
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first detector means responsive to events characteristic of a possible fibrillation episode for triggering the storage of data related to said possible fibrillation episode; second detector means responsive to deliverance of defibrillating energy by said implanted defibrillator for triggering the storage of data related to said deliverance of defibrillating energy; storage means for durably storing the data related to said possible fibrillation episode and said deliverance of defibrillating energy; external receiving means for receiving the data related to said possible fibrillation episode and said deliverance of defibrillating energy; and telemetry means for transmitting the data related to said possible fibrillation episode and said deliverance of defibrillating energy from the patient to said external receiving means.
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45. An implantable automatic defibrillator including treatment verification capabilities, said defibrillator comprising:
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sensing means for sensing electrical activity associated with the heart of a wearer; detector means receiving said electrical activity from said sensing means for detecting cardiac arrhythmias including fibrillation; signal-generating means for issuing signals in response to the detection of arrhythmias by said detector means; storage and discharge means for first storing and then automatically discharging defibrillating energy through the heart of the wearer; charging means for charging said storage and discharge means with said defibrillating energy; means creating an electrical link between said signal-generating means and said charging means for activating said charging means upon detection of fibrillation by said detector means; storage means for durably storing the electrical activity sensed by said sensing means; and means creating an electrical link between said signal-generating means and said storage means for activating said storage means upon detection of an arrhythmia by said detector means. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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Specification