Method and apparatus for diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias
First Claim
1. An arrhythmia treatment system, comprising an implantable anti-arrhythmia device and an external activator;
- the implantable 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 therapymeans 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;
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
means for transmitting information to the external activator indicative of whether the second therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal;
the external activator comprising;
a patient operable control;
signal generator means responsive to the patient operable control for transmitting the patient activation signal to the implanted device; and
receiver means for receiving information transmitted from said implantable device indicative of whether the second therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal; and
indicator means responsive to said receiver means for indicating to the patient whether the second therapy is to be delivered.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
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.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An arrhythmia treatment system, comprising an implantable anti-arrhythmia device and an external activator;
-
the implantable 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 therapymeans 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; 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 means for transmitting information to the external activator indicative of whether the second therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal; the external activator comprising; a patient operable control; signal generator means responsive to the patient operable control for transmitting the patient activation signal to the implanted device; and receiver means for receiving information transmitted from said implantable device indicative of whether the second therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal; and indicator means responsive to said receiver means for indicating to the patient whether the second therapy is to be delivered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An arrhythmia treatment system, comprising an implantable anti-arrhythmia device and an external activator;
-
the implantable device comprising; means for defining a set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; means for determining whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the 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 set of criteria; means responsive to a determination that the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the set of criteria, for delivering an anti-arrhythmia therapy; and means for transmitting information to the external activator indicative of whether the therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal and indicative of whether delivery of the therapy is appropriate, the external activator comprising; a patient operable control; signal generator means responsive to the patient operable control for transmitting the patient activation signal to the implanted device; and receiver means for receiving information transmitted from the implantable device indicative of whether the therapy is to be delivered in response to the patient activation signal and indicative of whether delivery of the therapy is appropriate; and indicator means responsive to the receiver means for indicating to the patient whether the therapy is to be delivered and whether delivery of the therapy is appropriate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An arrhythmia treatment system, comprising an implantable anti-arrhythmia device and an external activator;
-
the implantable device comprising; means for defining a set of arrhythmia detection criteria; means for monitoring a patients heart rhythm; 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 set of criteria; and means for transmitting information to the external activator indicative of whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the set of criteria; the external activator comprising; a patient operable control; signal generator means responsive to the patient operable control for transmitting the patient activation signal to the implanted device; and receiver means for receiving information transmitted from the implantable device indicative of whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the set of criteria; and indicator means responsive to the receiver means for indicating to the patient whether the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm meets the set of criteria. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification