Method and apparatus for esophageal pacing
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for continuously pacing the heart of a patient comprising:
- a flexible catheter for insertion into the esophagus of said patient, said catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, said catheter comprising a hollow flexible exterior tube and a hollow flexible interior tube inserted into said exterior tube;
first and second pacing electrodes coupled to said catheter, said first pacing electrode being located closer to the distal end of said catheter than said second pacing electrode;
a pacing generator for generating electrical pulses used to pace the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein each of said electrodes is of sufficient surface area to prevent injuring said patient'"'"'s esophagus during continuous emergency pacing; and
a pair of electrical conductors located between said exterior tube and said interior tube, one of said pair being connected between said first pacing electrode and said pacing generator for conducting said pulses to said first pacing electrode and the other of said pair being connected between said second pacing electrode and said pacing generator for conducting said electrical energy between said second pacing electrode and said pacing generator.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for emergency pacing of a surgical patient'"'"'s heart through an esophageal catheter. Pacing electrodes are connected to the external wall of the catheter having sufficient surface area to reduce the current density to a level which does not burn or injure the patient'"'"'s esophagus. Pacing pulses are applied to the electrodes by a pacing generator and the pulses are transmitted through the esophagus wall to the patient'"'"'s heart.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for continuously pacing the heart of a patient comprising:
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a flexible catheter for insertion into the esophagus of said patient, said catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, said catheter comprising a hollow flexible exterior tube and a hollow flexible interior tube inserted into said exterior tube; first and second pacing electrodes coupled to said catheter, said first pacing electrode being located closer to the distal end of said catheter than said second pacing electrode; a pacing generator for generating electrical pulses used to pace the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein each of said electrodes is of sufficient surface area to prevent injuring said patient'"'"'s esophagus during continuous emergency pacing; and a pair of electrical conductors located between said exterior tube and said interior tube, one of said pair being connected between said first pacing electrode and said pacing generator for conducting said pulses to said first pacing electrode and the other of said pair being connected between said second pacing electrode and said pacing generator for conducting said electrical energy between said second pacing electrode and said pacing generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A catheter used with a surgical patient and having a distal end and a proximal end, comprising:
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a first hollow elongated flexible tube for insertion into the esophagus of said patient; a second hollow elongated flexible tube inserted into said first tube; a pair of spaced electrodes coupled to said first tube for continuously transmitting electrical energy through the wall of said esophagus to said patient'"'"'s heart for pacing said heart, wherein each of said electrodes is of sufficient surface area to prevent injuring said patient'"'"'s esophagus during continuous emergency pacing; and a pair of electrical conductors inserted between said first tube and said second tube, one of which is connected to one of said pair of spaced electrodes and the other of which is connected to the other of said pair of spaced electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of continuously pacing a patient'"'"'s heart during surgery comprising:
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inserting a flexible catheter into the esophagus of said patient, said catheter comprising a pair of spaced electrodes electrically coupled to a pacing generator, a first hollow flexible tube and a second hollow flexible tube inserted into said first tube; generating pacing pulses in said pacing generator; transmitting said pacing pulses from said generator through an electrical conductor inserted between said first hollow tube and said second hollow tube to one of said electrodes; and transmitting said pacing pulses from said electrodes through the wall of the esophagus to the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein each of said electrodes is of sufficient surface area to prevent injuring said patient'"'"'s esophagus during continuous emergency pacing. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification