Implantable cardiac stimulation device, system and method which provides an electrogram signal having the appearance of a surface electrocardiogram

• US 7,289,848 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Florio, Joseph J., Bradley, Kerry, Bornzin, Gene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow; Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US10/723,027
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 600/510
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371

Abstract

An implantable cardiac stimulation system and method provides an external display of a heart activity signal sensed internally by an implantable cardiac stimulation device which has the appearance of a surface EKG. The heart activity signal is sensed by the implanted device and is processed by the device or the external display to have frequency characteristics resembling that of a surface EKG. The heart activity signal to be displayed takes the form of an intracardiac electrogram signal with a low frequency roll-on of no greater than 0.4 Hz and a high frequency cutoff of no less than 20 Hz. This provides a heart activity signal for display which has the appearance and most attributes of a surface EKG.

Claims

1. An implantable cardiac stimulation system comprising:

an implantable cardiac stimulating device;

at least one implantable electrode coupled to the implantable cardiac stimulating device, the implantable electrode operative to sense cardiac electrical activity and to provide an intracardiac electrogram signal; and

a filter to filter the intracardiac electrogram signal with a low frequency cutoff of no greater than about 1 to 2 Hz and a high frequency cutoff of no less than about 250 Hz to provide a filtered electrogram signal for display, the filtered electrogram signal having the appearance of a surface electrocardiogram.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the implantable cardiac stimulation device comprises a telemetry circuit that transmits the filtered electrogram signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the implantable cardiac stimulation device comprises a memory operative to store the filtered electrogram signal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode is adapted for implant in the right atrium of the heart.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode is adapted for implant in or proximal to a ventricle of the heart.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode adapted for implant in or proximal to an atrium of the heart and a second electrode adapted for implant in or proximal to a ventricle of the heart.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode adapted for implant in the right atrium of the heart and a second electrode adapted for implant in the right ventricle of the heart.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the implantable cardiac stimulation device comprises a telemetry circuit that transmits the filtered electrogram signal.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the implantable cardiac stimulation device comprises a memory operative to store the filtered electrogram signal.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one electrode is adapted for implant in the right atrium of the heart.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one electrode is adapted for implant in or proximal to a ventricle of the heart.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode adapted for implant in or proximal to an atrium of the heart and a second electrode adapted for implant in or proximal to a ventricle of the heart.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode adapted for implant in the right atrium of the heart and a second electrode adapted for implant in the right ventricle of the heart.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising an external display device to display the filtered electrogram signal, the filtered electrogram signal resembling a surface electrocardiogram.

15. An implantable cardiac stimulation system comprising:

an implantable cardiac stimulating device;

at least one implantable electrode coupled to the implantable cardiac stimulating device, the implantable electrode operative to sense cardiac electrical activity and to provide an intracardiac electrogram signal; and

a filter to filter the intracardiac electrogram signal with a low frequency cutoff of no greater than about 1 to 2 Hz and a high frequency cutoff of about 250 Hz to provide a filtered electrogram signal for display, the filtered electrogram signal having the appearance of a surface electrocardiogram.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising an external display device to display the filtered electrogram signal, the filtered electrogram signal resembling a surface electrocardiogram.