Pacing system with lead having a single conductor for connecting to pressure sensor and electrode
First Claim
1. An implantable cardiac pacing system for pacing a patient'"'"'s heart, having a pacemaker and a lead,said lead comprising a proximal end connected to said pacemaker and a distal end, a casing running the length of said lead for enclosing said lead, a tip electrode at about said lead distal end, a sensor mounted within said casing at a predetermined location so that both said tip electrode and said sensor are positionable within said heart, a conductor extending within said casing from said proximal end to said location, and connecting means for connecting said conductor respectively to said sensor and to said tip electrode, andsaid pacemaker comprising multiplex means connected to said conductor at said lead proximal end for obtaining cardiac signals connected from said tip electrode and sensor signals connected from said sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pacing system is provided having a lead with a pressure transducer or other sensor, the lead being characterized by having only a single conductor connecting the pacemaker with the signals from the sensor and the signals to and from the lead tip electrode. A connecting circuit mounted in the lead near the distal end is powered by a low level alternating constant current square wave to provide multiplexed signals on the conductor. The lead connecting circuit comprises a switching device connected to a sensor, such as a piezoelectric pressure transducer, so that for positive current pulses delivered to the lead, the transducer output is added in series with any cardiac signal sensed by the tip electrode; while for negative currents the pressure transducer is isolated and only the tip electrode signal information is connected back to the pacemaker. The pacemaker contains processing circuitry for decoding the respective cardiac signals and pressure signals from the multiplexed signals.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An implantable cardiac pacing system for pacing a patient'"'"'s heart, having a pacemaker and a lead,
said lead comprising a proximal end connected to said pacemaker and a distal end, a casing running the length of said lead for enclosing said lead, a tip electrode at about said lead distal end, a sensor mounted within said casing at a predetermined location so that both said tip electrode and said sensor are positionable within said heart, a conductor extending within said casing from said proximal end to said location, and connecting means for connecting said conductor respectively to said sensor and to said tip electrode, and said pacemaker comprising multiplex means connected to said conductor at said lead proximal end for obtaining cardiac signals connected from said tip electrode and sensor signals connected from said sensor.
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10. A pacing system having a pacemaker and a lead, said lead comprising:
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a proximal end and a distal end, and a casing extending from said proximal end to said distal end, a tip electrode at about said distal end, a sensor located at a position within said casing near said distal end, a conductor extending within said lead casing from said proximal end to said sensor position, a switchable connecting circuit means for switchably connecting said tip electrode alternately through said sensor to said conductor and directly to said conductor, and said pacemaker comprising switching drive means for providing a drive signal to said conductor for switching said connecting circuit means, and signal processing means connected to said conductor for processing the signals on said conductor so as to derive respective signals representative of cardiac signals sensed at said tip electrode and sensor signals generated by said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A pacing lead for use in a pacing system having a pacemaker for generating pacing pulses, said lead comprising:
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a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end and a casing running the length of said body, a tip electrode at about said distal end, a transducer element at a location within said casing near said distal end for obtaining signals representative of a cardiac parameter, a conductor providing an electrical connection from said proximal end to about said location, a two state connecting means connected to said transducer element and to said tip electrode for connecting said transducer in electrical connection with said tip when it is in a first of said states, whereby a signal carrying information representative of said parameter is connected to said conductor, and for isolating said transducer element and connecting said tip electrode directly to said conductor when it is in a second of said states, whereby a signal carrying information representative of a cardiac signal sensed at aid tip electrode is connected to said conductor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An implantable cardiac pacing system for pacing a patient'"'"'s heart, having a pacemaker and a lead,
said lead comprising a sensor and a tip electrode, a conductor providing an electrical connection substantially the length of said lead, and a switchable connecting means for connecting said tip electrode to said conductor through a first path which includes said sensor or through a second path that does not include said sensor, and wherein said pacemaker comprises drive means for delivering a drive signal to said conductor that controls said connecting means to connect said tip electrode alternately through said first and second paths.
Specification