Method and apparatus for diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias
First Claim
1. An implantable anti-arrhythmia device comprising:
- means for defining a first set of arrhythmia detection criteria;
means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm;
means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria;
means in responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria for delivering a first anti-arrhythmia therapy;
means for defining a second set of arrhythmia detection criteria less stringent than the first set of criteria;
means for receiving a patient activation signal;
means responsive to receipt of a patient activation signal for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria; and
means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria, for delivering a second anti-arrhythmia therapy.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable anti-arrhythmia device such as a defibrillator or anti-tachycardia pacemaker with an associated patient activator. The arrhythmia detection function is divided between the patient and the implanted device, rather than merely providing patient activation or a patient override. The implantable device is provided with a tachyarrhythmia recognition mechanism, which operates essentially continuously, and which, upon meeting a first set of criteria, will trigger delivery of an anti-arrhythmia therapy such as pacing, cardioversion or defibrillation. The patient is provided with an activator which informs the implanted device that the patient believes that anti-arrhythmia therapy is necessary. In response to receipt of the activation signal, the implanted device defines a time interval thereafter during which a second, less stringent set of arrhythmia detection criteria must be met, in response to which the device will deliver a cardioversion or defibrillation pulse.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. An implantable anti-arrhythmia device comprising:
means for defining a first set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria; means in responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria for delivering a first anti-arrhythmia therapy; means for defining a second set of arrhythmia detection criteria less stringent than the first set of criteria; means for receiving a patient activation signal; means responsive to receipt of a patient activation signal for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria; and means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria, for delivering a second anti-arrhythmia therapy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An implantable anti-arrhythmia device comprising:
means for defining a first set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria; means in responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria for delivering a first anti-arrhythmia therapy; means for defining a second set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for receiving a patient activation signal; means responsive to receipt of a patient activation signal for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria; and means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria for delivering a second anti-arrhythmia therapy; and wherein the means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria comprises means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria within a predetermined time interval following receipt of a patient activation signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. An implantable anti-arrhythmia device comprising:
means for defining a first set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria; means in responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria for delivering a first anti-arrhythmia therapy; means for defining a second set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for receiving a patient activation signal; means responsive to receipt of a patient activation signal for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria; and means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria, for delivering a second anti-arrhythmia therapy; and further comprising means for transmitting information to an external receiver indicative of whether the second therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal.
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8. An implantable anti-arrhythmia device comprising:
means for defining a first set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria; means in responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the first set of criteria for delivering a first anti-arrhythmia therapy; means for defining a second set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for receiving a patient activation signal; means responsive to receipt of a patient activation signal for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria; and means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the second set of criteria, for delivering a second anti-arrhythmia therapy; and further comprising means for transmitting information to an external receiver indicative that the second therapy will not be delivered in response to the patient activation signal.
Specification