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Implantable device for diagnosing and distinguishing supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias

  • US 6,611,713 B2
  • Filed: 11/30/2000
  • Issued: 08/26/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An implantable device for diagnosing and distinguishing supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias, comprising:

  • electrodes for the electrical stimulation of parasympathetic nerves which innervate the atrioventricular and/or sinus node;

    electrodes for the electrical stimulation of the atria and ventricles and/or for ventricular cardioversion/defibrillation;

    a device for producing electrical parasympathetic stimulation pulses which are passed to the electrodes;

    a detector for detecting the atrial and/or ventricular rate, by ascertaining a time interval between atrial and/or ventricular depolarization;

    a device for programming a frequency limit above which a rate of the ventricles is recognized as tachycardia;

    a device to start parasympathetic stimulation by sending a stimulation signal to the parasympathetic pulse producing device as long as the detector detects a ventricular rate above the tachycardia frequency limit;

    a comparison device, activated in the presence of a stimulation signal, for comparing a heart rate measured by the detector during parasympathetic stimulation to the heart rate prior to or without parasympathetic stimulation and/or to the frequency limit, the comparison device delivering an output signal of a first type when the heart rate does not fall below a comparison value by more than a predetermined amount and delivering an output signal of a second type when the heart rate falls below the comparison value by more than the predetermined amount, and an inhibition unit that responds to the output signal from the comparison device by initiating ventricular myocardial over-stimulation therapy and/or cardioversion/defibrillation therapy when the output signal of the first type is present and inhibiting ventricular myocardial over-stimulation therapy and/or cardioversion/defibrillation therepy when the output signal of the second type is present.

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