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Minute volume rate-responsive pacemaker employing impedance sensing on a unipolar lead

  • US 5,201,808 A
  • Filed: 02/10/1992
  • Issued: 04/13/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A rate-responsive pacemaker comprising:

  • pulsing means for providing pacing current pulses at a controlled rate;

    a unipolar lead coupled to said pulsing means and having an electrode adapted to couple said pulsing means to a patient'"'"'s heart for delivering said pacing current pulses to said heart;

    means for periodically applying a measuring current between said lead and a reference point in said pacemaker, said measuring current having frequency components in a range extending from approximately 10 kilohertz to approximately 1000 megahertz;

    means operative during the application of said measuring current between said lead and said reference point for measuring the spatial impedance between said lead and said reference point as a function of the patient'"'"'s pleural pressure;

    means responsive to said measuring means for determining the patient'"'"'s minute volume; and

    means coupled to said pulsing means for changing said controlled rate in accordance with the patient'"'"'s minute volume.

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