O.sub.2 level responsive system for and method of treating a malfunctioning heart
First Claim
1. A cardioverting/defibrillating system for treating a malfunctioning heart of a patient, the system comprising, in combination, storage means for storing electrical energy, electrode means for electrically coupling the storage means to the heart, sensing means for sensing O2 level in blood within a site in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of baseline O2 level, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site over a period of given duration, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for charging and enabling discharge of the electrical energy stored by the storage means across the electrode means to effect cardioversion/defibrillation upon change indicative of patient-compromise in the current O2 level in blood at the site of at least a predetermined magnitude from the representative baseline O2 level in blood.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for and method of treating a malfunctioning heart is based on hemodynamics, the O2 in blood at a site in a patient'"'"'s circulatory system being sensed. A signal is developed representative of short term O2 level in the blood at the sites preferably at a site (right ventricle or a pulmonary artery) which carries mixed venous blood. A signal representative of a baseline O2 level (fixed or varying) is provided and if the short term current O2 level differs therefrom by a predetermined value, an indication of possible hemodynamic compromise, cardioversion/-defibrillation is effected. In a second embodiment, the determination of whether the difference between fixed or varying baseline O2 level or current O2 level is undertaken after a rate criteria (for example a heart rate above 155 b.p.m.) has been met. In a third embodiment, the rate and O2 level criteria both must exist at the same time, before cardioverting/-defibrillation is initiated. In a fourth embodiment, a microprocessor is used. The system may be integrated with antitachycardia and/or antibradycardia pacemakers.
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Citations
67 Claims
- 1. A cardioverting/defibrillating system for treating a malfunctioning heart of a patient, the system comprising, in combination, storage means for storing electrical energy, electrode means for electrically coupling the storage means to the heart, sensing means for sensing O2 level in blood within a site in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of baseline O2 level, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site over a period of given duration, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for charging and enabling discharge of the electrical energy stored by the storage means across the electrode means to effect cardioversion/defibrillation upon change indicative of patient-compromise in the current O2 level in blood at the site of at least a predetermined magnitude from the representative baseline O2 level in blood.
- 17. A cardioverting/defibrillating method of treating a malfunctioning heart comprising sensing O2 level in blood at a site of a circulatory system, providing a representation of baseline O2 level, determining current O2 level in blood at the site from the sensed level at the site over a period of given duration, and delivering cardioverting/defibrillating electrical energy to the heart in response to change of at least a predetermined magnitude indicative of patient-compromise in the current O2 level in blood at the site from the baseline O2 level.
- 29. A cardioverting/defibrillating system for treating a malfunctioning heart comprising, in combination, storage means for storing electrical energy, electrode means for electrically coupling the storage means to the heart, sensing means for sensing O2 level in blood at a site in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of baseline O2 level in blood at the site, means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for charging and enabling discharge of the electrical energy stored by the storage means across the electrode means to effect cardioversion/defibrillation upon change indicative of patient compromise in the current O2 level at the site of at least a predetermined magnitude from the representative baseline O2 level in blood at the site.
- 31. A cardioverting/defibrillating method of treating a malfunctioning heart comprising sensing O2 level in blood within a site in a circulatory system, providing a representation of baseline O2 level in blood at the site, determining current O2 level in blood at the site from the sensed level, and discharging electrical energy into the heart to effect cardioversion/defibrillation in response to change of at least a predetermined magnitude in the current O2 level in blood at the site from the baseline O2 level in blood at the site indicative of patient-compromise.
- 33. A cardioverting/defibrillating system for treating a malfunctioning heart comprising sensing means for sensing O2 level in blood within a site in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of baseline O2 level in blood at the site, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for enabling electrical means to effect cardioversion/defibrillation of the malfunctioning hear upon change indicative of patient-compromise in the current O2 level in blood at the site of at least a predetermined magnitude from the representative baseline O2 level in blood at the site.
- 43. A cardioversion/defibrillation system for treating a malfunctioning heart comprising means for monitoring O2 in blood at a site within a circulator system of a patient to provide an output representing O2 level in blood at the site and means responsive to the output for supplying cardioverting/defibrillating energy to the heart upon the O2 level in blood at the site falling to or below a patient-compromising level.
- 45. A cardioverting/defibrillating method of treating a malfunctioning heart comprising continuously monitoring O2 level in blood at at a site in a patient'"'"'s circulatory system, and delivering cardioverting/defibrillating energy to the malfunctioning heart upon the O2 level in blood at the site falling to or below a patient-compromising level.
- 47. In a system for treating a malfunctioning heart of the type which includes storage means for storing electrical energy, electrode means for electrically coupling the storage means to the heart, sensing means for sensing O2 level in mixed venous blood within a pulmonary artery in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of fixed baseline O2 level, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site over a period of given duration, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for charging and enabling discharge of the electrical energy stored by the storage means across the electrode means upon change in the current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery of at least a predetermined amount from the representative baseline O2 level in blood.
- 54. In a system for treating a malfunctioning heart of the type which includes storage means for storing electrical energy, electrode means for electrically coupling the storage means to the heart, sensing means for sensing O2 level in mixed venous blood within a pulmonary artery in a circulatory system, means for providing a variable first signal representative of a variable baseline O2 level, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood at the site over a period of given duration, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for charging and enabling discharge of the electrical energy stored by the storage means across the electrode means upon change in the current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery of at least a predetermined amount from the representative baseline O2 level in blood.
- 61. A method of treating a malfunctioning heart comprising sensing O2 level in mixed venous blood at within a pulmonary artery of a circulatory system, providing a representation of baseline O2 level, determining current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery from the sensed level within said pulmonary artery over a period of given duration, and delivering cardioverting/defibrillating electrical energy to the heart in response to change of at least a predetermined magnitude in the current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery from the baseline O2 level.
- 65. A system for treating a malfunctioning heart comprising sensing means for sensing O2 level in mixed venous blood within a pulmonary artery in a circulatory system, means for providing a first signal representative of baseline O2 level in blood at said pulmonary artery, means responsive to output from the sensing means for developing a second signal representing current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery, and means responsive to output from the means for providing the first signal and output from the means for developing the second signal for enabling electrical means for correcting the malfunction upon change in the current O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery of at least a predetermined amount from the representative baseline O2 level in blood within said pulmonary artery.
Specification