Electrically programmable polarity connector for an implantable body tissue stimulator
First Claim
1. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) comprising:
- at least three output terminals which are adapted to allow a multiplicity of defibrillation lead electrical connectors to be detachably electrically connected thereto;
a positive output bus;
a negative output bus;
a switch network connected to said at least three output terminals, said positive output bus, and said negative output bus, for selectively connecting each of said at least three output terminals to a selected one of said positive output bus and said negative output bus;
an output circuit, connected to said positive output bus and said negative output bus, for developing and storing an electrical charge and providing such stored charge to said positive and negative output buses;
sensing means for sensing cardiac activity;
control means coupled to said switch network for controlling which of said at least three output terminals are connected to which of said positive and negative output buses, said control means also operatively controlling said output circuit and said sensing means to determine when a shocking pulse is needed and for controlling the output circuit and switch network so as to initiate discharge of a shocking pulse through said switch network to said at least three output terminals when a shocking pulse is needed; and
telemetry means for noninvasively programming said control means to select which of said at least three output terminals will be connected by said switch network to which of said positive and negative output buses.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A programmable output connector of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or similar implantable medical device, allows each of a multiplicity of output terminals to be selectively connected to either a positive or a negative output bus of the ICD. The positive and negative output buses of the ICD, in turn, are switched to an output capacitor, or equivalent output circuit, of the ICD. An electrical charge stored on the output capacitor, or otherwise generated by the output circuit, is presented to the multiplicity of output terminals in accordance with a programmed polarity. The programmed polarity causes a selected one or group of the multiplicity of output terminals to be connected to the positive output bus, and a selected other or group of the multiplicity of output terminals to be connected to the negative output bus. Respective electrodes designed for contacting cardiac tissue may then be electrically connected to each one of the multiplicity of output terminals. An electrical charge available on the positive and negative output buses may then be transferred to the body tissue as an electrical shock or stimulus through the electrodes in accordance with the programmed polarity.
99 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) comprising:
-
at least three output terminals which are adapted to allow a multiplicity of defibrillation lead electrical connectors to be detachably electrically connected thereto; a positive output bus; a negative output bus; a switch network connected to said at least three output terminals, said positive output bus, and said negative output bus, for selectively connecting each of said at least three output terminals to a selected one of said positive output bus and said negative output bus; an output circuit, connected to said positive output bus and said negative output bus, for developing and storing an electrical charge and providing such stored charge to said positive and negative output buses; sensing means for sensing cardiac activity; control means coupled to said switch network for controlling which of said at least three output terminals are connected to which of said positive and negative output buses, said control means also operatively controlling said output circuit and said sensing means to determine when a shocking pulse is needed and for controlling the output circuit and switch network so as to initiate discharge of a shocking pulse through said switch network to said at least three output terminals when a shocking pulse is needed; and telemetry means for noninvasively programming said control means to select which of said at least three output terminals will be connected by said switch network to which of said positive and negative output buses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) having a programmable polarity output connector, the ICD comprising:
-
a charge supply means for holding a prescribed charge in anticipation of transferring the charge from the charge supply means to cardiac tissue of a patient, the charge supply means having a positive supply terminal and a negative supply terminal; at least a first, a second, and a third output terminal; and programmable switching means for programmably switching a selected one of said first, second, and third output terminals to said positive supply terminal, and a selected other of said first, second, and third output terminals to said negative supply terminal; whereby said first, second, and third output terminals may be programmed to assume a desired polarity with respect to said positive and negative supply terminals, with at least one of said first, second, and third output terminals being coupled to said positive supply terminal, and with at least another of said first, second, and third output terminals being coupled to said negative supply terminal;
whereby said charge supply means may be discharged through selected ones of said first, second, and third output terminals while said selected ones of said first, second, and third output terminals assume a selected polarity relative to said positive and negative supply terminals. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A programmable polarity output apparatus for use with an implantable medical device, the implantable medical device having a first sensing input terminal, a second sensing input terminal, a positive output bus and a negative output bus, the programmable polarity output apparatus comprising:
-
first, second, and third output terminals; and programmable switching means for programmably switching a selected one of said first, second, and third output terminals to the positive output bus, and a selected other one of said first, second, and third output terminals to the negative output bus; whereby said first, second, and third output terminals may be programmed to assume a desired polarity with respect to the positive and negative output buses, with at least one of said first, second, and third output terminals being switched to the positive output bus, and with at least another one of the first, second or third output terminals being switched to the negative output bus; and whereby the positive and negative output buses may contact body tissue through selected ones of said first, second, and third output terminals in accordance with a programmed polarity, the programmed polarity being determined by which one or ones of said first, second, and third output terminals are switched to the positive output bus, and which one or ones of said first, second, and third output terminals are switched to the negative output bus. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of programmably altering the polarity of at least three output terminals of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) connecting each of the at least three output terminals to a corresponding one of at least three switch pairs, each of said at least three switch pairs comprising a positive switch that switchably connects the corresponding output terminal to a positive voltage bus, and a negative switch that switchably connects the corresponding output terminal to a negative voltage bus; (b) controlling each of said switch pairs so that when said positive switch of a given switch pair connects its corresponding output terminal to said positive voltage bus, said negative switch of said given switch pair disconnects the corresponding output terminal from said negative voltage bus, and so that when said negative switch of said given switch pair connects the corresponding output terminal to said negative voltage bus, said positive switch of said given switch pair disconnects the corresponding output terminal from said positive voltage bus, whereby it is not possible to short said positive voltage bus to said negative voltage bus through said given switch pair; (c) further controlling said switch pairs so that at least the positive switch of one switch pair connects its corresponding output terminal to said positive voltage bus at the same time that the negative switch of another switch pair connects its corresponding output terminal to said negative voltage bus; and (d) programmably setting said positive and negative switches of each of said at least three switch pairs so that the corresponding output terminal is connected to one of said positive or negative voltage buses, thereby configuring the output terminals to assume a desired polarity relative to each other and said positive and negative voltage buses, with at least one of the at least three output terminals being switched to said positive voltage bus, and another of the at least three output terminals being switched to said negative voltage bus. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
Specification