Implantable cardiac device with selectable tiered sleep apnea therapies and method

• US 7,269,459 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koh, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): DROESCH, KRISTEN L
• Application Number:
  US11/054,082
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence

Abstract

An implantable cardiac stimulation device treats apnea with either phrenic nerve stimulation pulses or cardiac stimulation pulses. The device includes an apnea detector that detects apnea of a patient, a blood oxygen saturation monitor that measures a blood oxygen saturation level of the patient responsive to detection of apnea, and a tiered therapy circuit that provides phrenic nerve stimulation pulses if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a first range and cardiac stimulation pulses if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a second range. The cardiac stimulation pulses are preferably provided in a DAO pacing mode.

Claims

1. In an implantable cardiac device, a method comprising:

detecting apnea of a patient;

measuring a blood oxygen saturation level of the patient responsive to detection of apnea; and

selecting one of phrenic nerve stimulation therapy or cardiac stimulation pulse therapy depending upon the blood oxygen saturation level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises selecting phrenic nerve stimulation therapy if the blood oxygen saturation level is below a threshold value, and cardiac stimulation pulse therapy if the blood oxygen saturation level is above the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing comprises withholding therapy if the blood oxygen saturation level is above a maximum threshold value.

4. An implantable cardiac stimulation device comprising:

an apnea detector that detects apnea of a patient;

a blood oxygen saturation monitor that measures a blood oxygen saturation level of the patient responsive to detection of apnea; and

a therapy circuit that selects between phrenic nerve stimulation pulses and cardiac stimulation pulses based on the blood oxygen saturation level.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the apnea detector includes a respiration detector.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the respiration detector includes an impedance monitor.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the therapy circuit withholds therapy if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a predefined range.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the predefined range is above a threshold value.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein the therapy circuit includes a pulse generator that provides the cardiac stimulation pulses in a DAO pacing mode.

10. The device of claim 4 wherein the apnea detector includes an oxygen saturation monitor.

11. An implantable cardiac stimulation device comprising:

an apnea detector that detects apnea of a patient;

a blood oxygen saturation monitor that measures a blood oxygen saturation level of the patient responsive to detection of apnea; and

a therapy circuit that provides phrenic nerve stimulation pulses if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a first range and cardiac stimulation pulses if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a second range, different from the first range.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the apnea detector includes a respiration detector.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the respiration detector includes an impedance monitor.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the second range is above the first range.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the therapy circuit withholds therapy if the measured blood oxygen saturation level is within a third range.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second range is above the first range and wherein the third range is above the second range.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the therapy circuit includes a pulse generator that provides the cardiac stimulation pulses in an atrial pacing mode.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the atrial pacing mode is an accelerated rate atrial pacing mode.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the accelerated rate atrial pacing mode is a DAO pacing mode.

20. The device of claim 11 wherein the apnea detector includes an oxygen saturation monitor.