Reduced current cardiac pacing apparatus
First Claim
1. An external cardiac pacing apparatus for delivering a total cardiac pacing current to a patient'"'"'s heart muscle comprising:
- a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient'"'"'s chest; and
a plurality of isolated current sources, each of which is coupled to one pair of each of the plurality of electrode pairs, wherein each of the isolated current sources includes means for delivering an individual pacing current to one of each of the electrode pairs at substantially the same time such that the individual pacing currents delivered by the plurality of isolated current sources additively form a total cardiac pacing current, wherein each individual pacing current has a magnitude less than the total cardiac pacing current.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cardiac pacing apparatus and method. A cardiac pacing apparatus (24) provides a cardiac pacing signal to a plurality of electrode pairs (20, 22), each comprising a positive electrode (20a, 22a) and a negative electrode (20b, 22b). A plurality of isolated current sources (30, 32) supply the electrode pairs with separate electric pacing currents, each small enough in magnitude so as to avoid patient discomfort or burning. The plurality of pacing currents delivered to the electrode pairs add to produce a total cardiac pacing current of sufficient magnitude to cause contraction of a heart muscle through which the pacing currents flow.
70 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An external cardiac pacing apparatus for delivering a total cardiac pacing current to a patient'"'"'s heart muscle comprising:
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a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient'"'"'s chest; and a plurality of isolated current sources, each of which is coupled to one pair of each of the plurality of electrode pairs, wherein each of the isolated current sources includes means for delivering an individual pacing current to one of each of the electrode pairs at substantially the same time such that the individual pacing currents delivered by the plurality of isolated current sources additively form a total cardiac pacing current, wherein each individual pacing current has a magnitude less than the total cardiac pacing current.
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2. An external cardiac pacing apparatus for delivering a total cardiac pacing current to a patient'"'"'s heart muscle comprising:
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a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient'"'"'s chest; and a plurality of isolated current sources, each of which is coupled to one pair of each of the plurality of electrode pairs, wherein each of the isolated current sources includes means for simultaneously delivering an individual pacing current to one of each of the electrode pairs such that the individual pacing currents delivered by the plurality of isolated current sources additively form a total cardiac pacing current, wherein each individual pacing current has a magnitude less than the total cardiac pacing current; pulse controller means for causing the plurality of isolated current sources to simultaneously deliver the individual pacing currents to the plurality of electrode pairs; and an electrocardiographic monitor coupled to the pulse controller means for sensing heart signals produced by the patient'"'"'s heart muscle and for causing the pulse controller means to cause the plurality of isolated current sources to simultaneously deliver the individual pacing currents in response to the heart signals. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for providing a total cardiac pacing signal to a heart muscle of a patient, wherein the total cardiac pacing signal is applied via a plurality of separate signal paths, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of pairs of electrodes connectable to an exterior of the patient; a plurality of electrically isolated current sources, each of which is electrically connected to one of the pairs of electrodes, wherein each electrically isolated current source includes means for providing one pair of electrodes with an individual pacing signal that flows between the associated pair of electrodes, the individual pacing signals provided to the plurality of pairs of electrodes adding to form the total cardiac pacing signal to cause contraction of the patient'"'"'s heart muscle, wherein each individual pacing signal has a magnitude that is less than the magnitude of the total cardiac pacing signal; and means for controlling a magnitude of the individual pacing signals delivered to the plurality of electrode pairs by the electrically isolated current sources such that the magnitude of the total cardiac pacing signal delivered to the patient is sufficient to contract the patient'"'"'s heart muscle. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of providing an external total cardiac pacing signal to a heart muscle of a patient, comprising:
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producing a plurality of isolated individual pacing signals each having a magnitude that is less than a magnitude of the total cardiac pacing signal to be delivered to a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient; simultaneously delivering to the plurality of electrode pairs the plurality of isolated individual pacing signals such that the plurality of isolated individual pacing signals add to produce the total cardiac pacing signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of providing an external total cardiac pacing current to a patient'"'"'s heart muscle, comprising the steps of:
producing a plurality of individual pacing currents; and
delivering, at substantially the same time each of the plurality of individual pacing currents to a pair of isolated electrodes attachable to the patient, such that the plurality of individual pacing currents add to produce a total cardiac pacing current in the patient'"'"'s heart muscle.
Specification