Heart pacemaker
First Claim
1. A heart pacemaker, comprising a housing having a base member mounting three or more pacing electrodes arranged to contact the heart to provide pacing pulses to the heart, pulse generator means for causing the three or more pacing electrodes to provide stimulating pulses and selection means for selecting one or more of the three or more electrodes to provide pacing pulses to the heart at any particular time, whereby one, some or all of the pacing electrodes may be used to provide stimulation as clinically appropriate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heart pacemaker which is arranged to stimulate the apical area of the heart. Stimulation of this area provides synchronous mechanical contraction of the left and right ventricles and overcomes the problem of pacemaker induced left bundle branch block type conduction disturbance. The pacemaker has a base surface which conforms to the apical area of the heart and mounts a plurality of epicardial stimulating electrodes. Selection of electrodes can be made to provide the most clinically appropriate stimulation. An opposite side of the pacemaker is arranged to contact the diaphragm and is provided with sensing electrodes to sense activity of the diaphragm and adjust pacing of the heart in accordance with changes in physical activity of the patient. The electrodes used are preferably of capacitive construction, having first and second capacitive plates either side of a dielectric formed by the body of the pacemaker.
165 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A heart pacemaker, comprising a housing having a base member mounting three or more pacing electrodes arranged to contact the heart to provide pacing pulses to the heart, pulse generator means for causing the three or more pacing electrodes to provide stimulating pulses and selection means for selecting one or more of the three or more electrodes to provide pacing pulses to the heart at any particular time, whereby one, some or all of the pacing electrodes may be used to provide stimulation as clinically appropriate.
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20. A method of pacing the heart, comprising placing a housing having a base member mounting three or more pacing electrodes in contact with the heart, and selecting one or more of the three or more pacing electrodes to provide pacing pulses to the heart at any particular time, whereby one, some or all of the pacing electrodes may be used to provide stimulation as clinically appropriate.
Specification