Intracardiac polarization signal stabilization
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device system adapted to be coupled to a patient'"'"'s cardiac tissue through an electrode, comprising:
- an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising;
means for delivering a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode during a cardiac cycle in an absence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization and inhibiting delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode when an intrinsic cardiac depolarization occurs, andmeans for stabilizing a polarization signal at an interface between the electrode and the patient'"'"'s tissue during a refractory period of a cardiac cycle following the inhibition of the delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse at the end of a cardiac cycle escape interval caused by the occurrence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization during the cardiac cycle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Polarization signals, which represent voltages measured at a pacemaker electrode, are not constant and may drift. Polarization signal drift, which often precedes undesirable pace polarization artifacts, is more significant when the pacemaker is inhibited from providing an electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s heart. The present invention provides an implantable system and methods for stabilization of a polarization signal. Electrical pulses may be applied to stabilize a polarization signal. In one implementation of the invention, polarization signal stabilization may be used as part of process to terminate tachycardia.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device system adapted to be coupled to a patient'"'"'s cardiac tissue through an electrode, comprising:
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an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising; means for delivering a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode during a cardiac cycle in an absence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization and inhibiting delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode when an intrinsic cardiac depolarization occurs, and means for stabilizing a polarization signal at an interface between the electrode and the patient'"'"'s tissue during a refractory period of a cardiac cycle following the inhibition of the delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse at the end of a cardiac cycle escape interval caused by the occurrence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization during the cardiac cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for counteracting polarization signal drift at the interface between cardiac tissue of a patient and an electrode coupled to a pacemaker delivering a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode during a cardiac cycle in an absence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization and inhibiting delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse to the electrode when an intrinsic cardiac depolarization occurs, the method comprising:
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sensing an intrinsic depolarization; inhibiting delivery of a stimulation pulse at the end of an escape interval when an intrinsic depolarization is sensed; and delivering a polarization stabilization stimulation through the electrode during a refractory period of a cardiac cycle following the inhibition of the delivery of a pacing stimulation pulse at the end of a cardiac cycle escape interval caused by the occurrence of an intrinsic cardiac depolarization during the cardiac cycle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification