Medical apparatus for stimulating a physiological event in a patient with a stimulation intensity automatically adapted to the physical activity of the patient and a method for adapting the stimulation intensity to the physical activity of the patient
First Claim
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1. A medical apparatus implantable in the body of a patient comprising:
- means for stimulating a physiological event in a patient at a stimulation intensity;
first sensor means for measuring the temperature in the interior of s id patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto;
second sensor means for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; and
means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation intensity to adapt said stimulation intensity to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation intensity.
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Abstract
A medical apparatus for stimulating a physiological event in a patient, with the stimulation intensity being automatically adapted to the physical activity of the patient, includes respective sensors for monitoring the chronological curves of the temperature within the patient and at the body periphery of the patient. These temperature curves are used as a basis for determining the activity level of the patient, and for setting the stimulation intensity in accordance with that physical activity.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A medical apparatus implantable in the body of a patient comprising:
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means for stimulating a physiological event in a patient at a stimulation intensity; first sensor means for measuring the temperature in the interior of s id patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto; second sensor means for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation intensity to adapt said stimulation intensity to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation intensity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A medical apparatus implantable in the body of a patient comprising:
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means for stimulating a physiological event in a patient at a stimulation intensity; first sensor means for measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto, said first temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; second sensor means for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto, said second temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation intensity to adapt said stimulation intensity to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for identifying the operational sign of the slope of at least one of said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation intensity and including means for determining the difference between said first and second temperature signals and for determining whether said difference upwardly or downwardly transgresses a normal value of said difference for use as a further basis for modifying said stimulation intensity. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising the steps of:
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stimulating a physiological event in a patient at a stimulation intensity; measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto; measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals; and modifying said stimulation intensity to adapt said stimulation intensity to the physical activity level of the patient based on said chronological sequence of changes. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising the steps of:
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stimulating a physiological event in a patient at a stimulation intensity; measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto having a slope with an operational sign; measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto having a slope with an operational sign; identifying the operational sign of the slope of at least one of said first and second temperature signals; forming a difference signal between said first and second temperature signals, said difference signal having a normal value; determining if said difference signal upwardly or downwardly transgresses said normal value; and modifying said stimulation intensity to adapt to said stimulation intensity to the physical activity level of said patient based on said operational sign of said at least one of said first and second temperature signals and on whether said difference signal upwardly or downwardly transgresses said normal value. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for pacing a heart comprising the steps of:
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stimulating the heart muscle activity in a patient at a stimulation frequency; measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto; measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals; and modifying said stimulation frequency to adapt said stimulation frequency to the physical activity level of the patient based on said chronological sequence of changes in said first and second temperature signals. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for pacing a heart comprising the steps of:
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stimulating heart activity in a patient at a stimulation frequency; measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto having a slope with an operational sign; measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto having a slope with an operational sign; identifying the operational sign of the slope of at least one of said first and second temperature signals; determining the difference between said first and second temperature signals, said difference having a normal value; determining whether said difference upwardly or downwardly transgresses said normal value; and modifying said stimulation frequency based on said operational sign of the slope of said at least one of said first and second temperature signals and on whether said difference upwardly or downwardly transgresses said normal value. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A heart pacemaker comprising:
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a housing; means for stimulating heart activity in said patient at a stimulation frequency; first sensor means for measuring the temperature at a location in the interior of said patient remote from said housing and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto, said first sensor means including a lead extending from said housing to said remote location; second sensor means mounted in said housing for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation frequency to adapt said stimulation frequency to the physical activity level of the patient including means for determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation frequency. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A heart pacemaker comprising:
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a housing; means for stimulating heart activity in a patient at a stimulation frequency; first sensor means for measuring the temperature at a location in the interior of said patient remote from said housing and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto, said first temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; second sensor means disposed in said housing for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto, said second temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation frequency to adapt said stimulation frequency to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for identifying the operational sign of the slope of at least one of said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation intensity and including means for determining the difference between said first and second temperature signals and for determining whether said difference upwardly or downwardly transgresses a normal value of said difference for use as a further basis for modifying said stimulation frequency.
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33. A heart pacemaker comprising:
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a housing having a first wall adapted, when said housing is implanted in a patient, to be facing the interior of said patient and having a second wall adapted to be facing the body periphery of said patient; means for stimulating heart activity in said patient at a stimulation frequency; first sensor means mounted at said first wall for measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto; second sensor means mounted at said second wall for measuring the temperature in the region of the periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation frequency to adapt said stimulation frequency to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for determining a chronological sequence of changes respectively occurring in said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation frequency.
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34. A heart pacemaker comprising:
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a housing having a first wall adapted, when said housing is implanted in a patient, to be facing the interior of said patient and having a second wall adapted to be facing the body periphery of said patient; means for stimulating heart activity in said patient at a stimulation frequency; first sensor means mounted at said first wall for measuring the temperature in the interior of said patient and generating a first temperature signal corresponding thereto, said first temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; second sensor means mounted at said second wall for measuring the temperature in the region of periphery of said patient and generating a second temperature signal corresponding thereto, said second temperature signal having a slope with an operational sign; and means connected to said means for stimulating and to said first and second sensor means for modifying said stimulation frequency to adapt said stimulation frequency to the physical activity level of said patient, including means for identifying the operational sign of the slope of at least one of said first and second temperature signals for use as a basis for modifying said stimulation frequency and including means for determining the difference between said first and second temperature signals and for determining whether said difference upwardly or downwardly transgresses a normal value of said different for use as a further basis for modifying said stimulation intensity.
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Specification