System and method for emulating a surface EKG using internal cardiac signals sensed by an implantable medical device
First Claim
1. A method for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which an implantable cardiac stimulation device is implanted, the method comprising:
- sensing a single cross-chamber cardiac signal using an atrial electrode and a ventricular electrode;
distinguishing portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals from those corresponding to ventricular signals; and
adjusting the relative amplitudes of the portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals and the portions corresponding to ventricular signals so as to yield an emulated surface EKG using only the single cardiac signal with the adjusted relative amplitudes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is emulated using signals detected by the internal leads of an implanted device. In one example, the emulation is performed using a technique that concatenates portions of signals sensed using different electrodes, such as by combining far-field ventricular signals sensed in the atria with far-field atrial signals sensed in the ventricles or by combining near-field signals sensed in the atria with near-field signals sensed in the ventricles. In another example, the emulation is performed using a technique that selectively amplifies or attenuates portions of a single signal sensed using a single pair of electrodes, such as by attenuating near-field portions of an atrial unipolar signal relative to far-field portions of the same signal or by attenuating atrial portions of a cross-chamber signal relative to ventricular portions to the same signal. The surface EKG emulation may be performed by the implanted device itself or by an external programmer based on cardiac signals transmitted thereto.
76 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which an implantable cardiac stimulation device is implanted, the method comprising:
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sensing a single cross-chamber cardiac signal using an atrial electrode and a ventricular electrode; distinguishing portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals from those corresponding to ventricular signals; and adjusting the relative amplitudes of the portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals and the portions corresponding to ventricular signals so as to yield an emulated surface EKG using only the single cardiac signal with the adjusted relative amplitudes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which the device is implanted, the system comprising:
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sensing circuitry operative to sense a single cross-chamber cardiac signal; and an EKG emulation unit operative to distinguish portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals from those corresponding to ventricular signals and to adjust the relative amplitudes of the portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals and the portions corresponding to ventricular signals so as to yield an emulated surface EKG using only the single cardiac signal with the adjusted relative amplitudes.
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12. A system for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which the device is implanted, the system comprising:
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means for sensing a single cross-chamber cardiac signal; means for distinguishing portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals from those corresponding to ventricular signals; and means for adjusting the relative amplitudes of the portions of the cross-chamber cardiac signal corresponding to atrial signals and the portions corresponding to ventricular signals so as to yield an emulated surface EKG using only the single cardiac signal with the adjusted relative amplitudes.
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Specification