After potential removal in cardiac rhythm management device
First Claim
1. A cardiac rhythm management pulse generator device for generating electric pulses and coupleable to an electrode which senses electrical activity of the heart and carries the electrical pulses to the heart, the pulse generator device comprising:
- an input/output terminal connectable to the electrode to receive the sensed electrical activity of the heart from the electrode and provide the electrical pulses to the electrode;
a lowpass filter coupled to the input/output terminal for filtering the sensed electrical activity;
a highpass filter coupled to the lowpass filter for further filtering the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter, the highpass filter including a resistive portion coupled to a ground node;
a switch operable to effectively remove the resistive portion from the highpass filter;
a sense amplifier coupled to the highpass filter for amplifying the electrical activity of the heart passed from the highpass filter;
a cardiac depolarization detector coupled to the sense amplifier for detecting depolarizations in the amplified electrical activity of the heart and providing a depolarization signal indicative of the depolarizations; and
a pulse circuit coupled to the input/output terminal and the cardiac depolarization detector for generating the electrical pulses based on the depolarization signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus effectively removes after potential occurring after a electrical pulse is delivered in a cardiac rhythm management system such as a pacemaker system or cardioverter/defibrillator system having an electrode used for both sensing electrical activity of the heart and carrying the electrical pulse to the heart and a sense amplifier for detecting the electrical activity from the electrode. The apparatus includes a lowpass filter coupled to the electrode to filter the sensed electrical activity. A highpass filter is coupled between the lowpass filter and the sense amplifier to further filter the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter. Equilibrium circuitry is included to allow passive filter components of the lowpass filter and the highpass filter to return to an equilibrium state following delivery of the electrical pulse.
176 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A cardiac rhythm management pulse generator device for generating electric pulses and coupleable to an electrode which senses electrical activity of the heart and carries the electrical pulses to the heart, the pulse generator device comprising:
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an input/output terminal connectable to the electrode to receive the sensed electrical activity of the heart from the electrode and provide the electrical pulses to the electrode; a lowpass filter coupled to the input/output terminal for filtering the sensed electrical activity; a highpass filter coupled to the lowpass filter for further filtering the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter, the highpass filter including a resistive portion coupled to a ground node; a switch operable to effectively remove the resistive portion from the highpass filter; a sense amplifier coupled to the highpass filter for amplifying the electrical activity of the heart passed from the highpass filter; a cardiac depolarization detector coupled to the sense amplifier for detecting depolarizations in the amplified electrical activity of the heart and providing a depolarization signal indicative of the depolarizations; and a pulse circuit coupled to the input/output terminal and the cardiac depolarization detector for generating the electrical pulses based on the depolarization signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A cardiac pacemaker for generating electrical pacing pulses and coupleable to an electrode which senses electrical activity of the heart and carries the electrical pacing pulses to the heart, the cardiac pacemaker comprising:
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input/output terminal connectable to the electrode to receive the sensed electrical activity of the heart from the electrode and provide the electrical pacing pulses to the electrode; a bandpass filter coupled to the input/output terminal for filtering the sensed electrical activity, the bandpass filter including a resistive portion coupled to a ground node; a switch operable to effectively remove the resistive portion from the bandpass filter; a sense amplifier coupled to the bandpass filter for amplifying the electrical activity of the heart passed from the bandpass filter; a cardiac depolarization detector coupled to the sense amplifier for detecting depolarizations in the amplified electrical activity of the heart and providing a depolarization signal indicative of the depolarizations; and a pulse circuit coupled to the input/output terminal and the cardiac depolarization detector for generating the electrical pacing pulses based on the depolarization signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A cardioverter/defibrillator with pacing capability for generating electrical pulses including shock pulses and pacing pulses and coupleable to an electrode which senses electrical activity of the heart and carries the electrical pulses to the heart, the cardioverter/defibrillator comprising:
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an input/output terminal connectable to the electrode to receive the sensed electrical activity of the heart from the electrode and provide the electrical pulses to the electrode; a bandpass filter coupled to the input/output terminal for filtering the sensed electrical activity, the bandpass filter including a resistive portion coupled to a ground node; a first switch operable to effectively remove the resistive portion from the bandpass filter; a sense amplifier coupled to the bandpass filter for amplifying the electrical activity of the heart passed from the bandpass filter; a second switch operable to disconnect the sense amplifier from the bandpass filter; a cardiac depolarization detector coupled to the sense amplifier for detecting depolarizations in the amplified electrical activity of the heart and providing a depolarization signal indicative of the depolarizations; a shock pulse circuit coupled to the input/output terminal and the cardiac depolarization detector for generating the shock pulses based on the depolarization signal; and a pace pulse circuit coupled to the input/output terminal and the cardiac depolarization detector for generating the pacing pulses based on the depolarization signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for effectively removing the after potential occurring after a shock pulse is delivered in a cardioverter/defibrillator system having an electrode for sensing electrical activity of the heart and carrying the shock pulse to the heart and a sense amplifier for detecting the electrical activity from the electrode, the system comprising:
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switch means for disconnecting the sense amplifier from the electrode during the delivery of the shock pulse; a lowpass filter coupled to the electrode and having filter components including a capacitive component for filtering the sensed electrical activity; a highpass filter coupled to the lowpass filter and the sense amplifier and having filter components for further filtering the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter; clamping means for limiting a charge in the capacitive component of the lowpass filter resulting from the after potential; and equilibrium means for allowing the filter components of the lowpass filter and the highpass filter to return to an equilibrium state following the delivery of the shock pulse. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for effectively removing the after potential occurring after a pace pulse is delivered in a cardiac pacemaker system having an electrode for sensing electrical activity of the heart and carrying the pace pulse to the heart and a sense amplifier for detecting the electrical activity from the electrode, the apparatus comprising:
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a lowpass filter coupled to the electrode and having filter components for filtering the sensed electrical activity and the pace pulse; a highpass filter coupled to the lowpass filter and the sense amplifier and having filter components for further filtering the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter; and equilibrium means for allowing the filter components of the lowpass filter and the highpass filter to return to an equilibrium state following the delivery of the pace pulse. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of effectively removing the after potential occurring after a shock pulse is delivered in a cardioverter/defibrillator system including an electrode for sensing electrical activity of the heart and for carrying the shock pulse to the heart, and including a sense amplifier for detecting the electrical activity from the electrode, the sensed electrical activity having a plurality of signal components, each signal component having a distinct frequency in a range of relatively high and low frequencies, the method comprising the steps of:
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disconnecting the sense amplifier from the electrode during the delivery of the shock pulse; bypassing through a ground node a shock current created by the delivery of the shock pulse; filtering, with at least one first filter component, signal components of relatively high frequency from the sensed electrical activity; filtering, with at least one second filter component, signal components of relatively low frequency from the filtered electrical activity; and allowing the at least one first filter component and the at least one second filter component to return to an equilibrium state following the delivery of the shock pulse. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A cardiac rhythm management system comprising:
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an electrode for sensing electrical activity of the heart and carrying electrical pulses to the heart; a lowpass filter coupled to the electrode for filtering the sensed electrical activity; a highpass filter coupled to the lowpass filter for further filtering the electrical activity passed from the lowpass filter, the highpass filter including a resistive portion coupled to a ground node; a switch operable to effectively remove the resistive portion from the highpass filter; a sense amplifier coupled to the highpass filter for amplifying the electrical activity of the heart passed from the highpass filter; a cardiac depolarization detector coupled to the sense amplifier for detecting depolarizations in the amplified electrical activity of the heart and providing a depolarization signal indicative of the depolarizations; and pulse circuit coupled to the electrode and the cardiac depolarization detector for providing the electrical pulses to the electrode based on the depolarization signal. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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Specification