Neuro-stimulation to control pain during cardioversion defibrillation
First Claim
1. An improved implantable cardioverter defibrillator system, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator system being a self-contained implantable device for implant implanted within a human patient'"'"'s body including a pulse-generating capacitor system that stores a high voltage electrical charge, a battery system that internally charges the pulse-generating capacitor system, and a control system that detects cardiac arrhythmias and, in response, selectively discharges the high voltage electrical charge in the pulse-generating capacitor system through therapy-delivery electrodes implanted within the patient'"'"'s body, the improvement comprising:
- a pain-blocking electrode subsystem implanted within the patient'"'"'s body and operably connected to the implantable device and having at least one implantable pain-blocking electrode located adjacent to nerves which are associated with transmitting pain sensations in the patient'"'"'s heart; and
a pain-blocking electrical stimulation system within the implantable device that is electrically connected to the pain-blocking electrode subsystem and the control system and that provides electromagnetic pain nerve blocking stimulation to the at least one implantable pain-blocking electrode in response to detection of a cardiac arrhythmia and prior to discharge of a high voltage electrical charge, the pain nerve blocking stimulation being delivered to the at least one pain-blocking electrode such that nerves proximate the pain-blocking electrode are stimulated so that the patient'"'"'s perception of pain associated with the discharge of the high voltage electrical charge is reduced without altering the patient'"'"'s state of consciousness.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for reducing the perceived pain by a patient occurring during cardioversion/defibrillation countershocks to the heart. The system comprises an electrode subsystem for positioning at least one electrode in contact with a patient, a pain reducing stimulation subsystem for providing pain reducing electromagnetic stimulation to the electrode subsystem, a cardioversion/defibrillation countershock subsystem for treatment of cardiac fibrillation, and a control subsystem. The control subsystem provides synchronization of the pain reducing stimulation subsystem with the cardioversion/defibrillation countershock subsystem so that delivery of pain reducing stimulation to the patient begins prior to a cardioversion/defibrillation countershock.
458 Citations
4 Claims
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1. An improved implantable cardioverter defibrillator system, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator system being a self-contained implantable device for implant implanted within a human patient'"'"'s body including a pulse-generating capacitor system that stores a high voltage electrical charge, a battery system that internally charges the pulse-generating capacitor system, and a control system that detects cardiac arrhythmias and, in response, selectively discharges the high voltage electrical charge in the pulse-generating capacitor system through therapy-delivery electrodes implanted within the patient'"'"'s body, the improvement comprising:
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a pain-blocking electrode subsystem implanted within the patient'"'"'s body and operably connected to the implantable device and having at least one implantable pain-blocking electrode located adjacent to nerves which are associated with transmitting pain sensations in the patient'"'"'s heart; and a pain-blocking electrical stimulation system within the implantable device that is electrically connected to the pain-blocking electrode subsystem and the control system and that provides electromagnetic pain nerve blocking stimulation to the at least one implantable pain-blocking electrode in response to detection of a cardiac arrhythmia and prior to discharge of a high voltage electrical charge, the pain nerve blocking stimulation being delivered to the at least one pain-blocking electrode such that nerves proximate the pain-blocking electrode are stimulated so that the patient'"'"'s perception of pain associated with the discharge of the high voltage electrical charge is reduced without altering the patient'"'"'s state of consciousness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification