Rate-responsive pacemaker with circuitry for processing multiple sensor inputs
First Claim
1. A rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, said pacemaker comprising:
- pulse generating means for generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal;
a first sensor means for sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto;
a second sensor means for sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto;
first processing means for processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal;
second processing means for processing said second signal to provide a second switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said second signal;
an addressable switch matrix having as inputs said first and second switch matrix input signals and having as an output a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the values of said first and second switch matrix input signals; and
means for computing a selected rate signal based on said first and second signals and said unique set of numerical coefficients, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable rate-responsive pacemaker is disclosed wherein two or more sensors indicative of physiological demand are utilized in a fashion designed to realize the advantages of both sensors in a circuit producing a rate command signal which is used to operate the pacemaker at an optimum pacing rate which will closely match physiological need of the patient. A switch matrix monitors processed signals from the sensors to select a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the processed sensor signals. The selected set of numerical coefficients are used as weighting factors to weight the impact of each of the sensor signals in the calculation of a selected rate.
116 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, said pacemaker comprising:
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pulse generating means for generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal; a first sensor means for sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto; a second sensor means for sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto; first processing means for processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal; second processing means for processing said second signal to provide a second switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said second signal; an addressable switch matrix having as inputs said first and second switch matrix input signals and having as an output a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the values of said first and second switch matrix input signals; and means for computing a selected rate signal based on said first and second signals and said unique set of numerical coefficients, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating 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, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, said pacemaker comprising:
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pulse generating means for generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal; a first sensor means for sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto; a second sensor means for sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto; first processing means for processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal; second processing means for processing said second signal to provide a second switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said second signal; an addressable switch matrix having as inputs said first and second switch matrix input signals, said addressable switch matrix containing a plurality of sets of numerical coefficients therein, said addressable switch matrix having as an output a particular set of two numerical coefficients which is indicated in said addressable switch matrix by the values of said first and second switch matrix input signals; and means for computing a selected rate signal by first computing the product of one of said two numerical coefficients and said first signal, secondly computing the product of the other of said two numerical coefficients and said second signal, and thirdly adding the products together, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating means.
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29. A rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, said pacemaker comprising:
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pulse generating means for generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal; a first sensor means for sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto; a second sensor means for sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto; a third sensor means for sensing a third physiological parameter of a patient and producing a third signal in response thereto; first processing means for processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal; second processing means for processing said second signal to provide a second switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said second signal; third processing means for processing said third signal to provide a third switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said third signal; an addressable switch matrix having as inputs said first, second, and third switch matrix input signals and having as an output a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the values of said first, second, and third switch matrix input signals; and means for computing a selected rate signal based on said first, second, and third signals and said numerical coefficients, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating means.
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30. A rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, said pacemaker comprising:
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pulse generating means for generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal; a first sensor means for sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto; a second sensor means for sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto; first processing means for processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal; an addressable switch matrix having as an input said first switch matrix input signal and having as an output a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the value of said first switch matrix input signal; and means for computing a selected rate signal based on said first and second signals and said numerical coefficients, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating means.
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31. A method of selecting the stimulating rate of a rate-responsive pacemaker for stimulating the heart of a patient, comprising:
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generating and delivering stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s heart in response to a selected rate signal; sensing a first physiological parameter of a patient and producing a first signal in response thereto; sensing a second physiological parameter of a patient and producing a second signal in response thereto; processing said first signal to provide a first switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said first signal; processing said second signal to provide a second switch matrix input signal indicative of one or more characteristics of said second signal; providing said first and second switch matrix input signals as inputs to an addressable switch matrix, said addressable switch matrix having as an output a unique set of numerical coefficients indicated by the values of said first and second switch matrix input signals; and computing a selected rate signal based on said first and second signals and said numerical coefficients, said selected rate signal being supplied to said pulse generating means.
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Specification