Inducing premature atrial contractions for the purpose of monitoring autonomic tone, risk of sudden cardiac death and ischemic events
First Claim
1. An implantable system for performing a cardiac assessment, comprising:
- means for inducing premature atrial contractions (PACs) to thereby cause corresponding premature contractions in the ventricles;
means for monitoring short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs;
means for performing a cardiac assessment based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contraction in the ventricles caused by the induced PAC;
wherein the means for performing detects myocardial ischemic events based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs; and
means for determining an ischemic burden based on the detected myocardial ischemic events.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Implantable systems, and methods for use therein, perform at least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment. Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are induced to thereby cause corresponding premature contractions in the ventricles. Short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals, that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs, are monitored. At least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment is performed based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs. This can include assessing a patient'"'"'s risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), assessing a patient'"'"'s autonomic tone and/or detecting myocardial ischemic events based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs.
31 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An implantable system for performing a cardiac assessment, comprising:
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means for inducing premature atrial contractions (PACs) to thereby cause corresponding premature contractions in the ventricles; means for monitoring short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs; means for performing a cardiac assessment based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contraction in the ventricles caused by the induced PAC; wherein the means for performing detects myocardial ischemic events based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs; and means for determining an ischemic burden based on the detected myocardial ischemic events. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. For use with an implantable pulse generator, a method of performing at least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment, comprising:
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(a) delivering pacing pulses from said pulse generator to a patient'"'"'s heart to induce a premature atrial contraction (PAC) that is followed, after an AV delay, by delivery of a ventricular pacing pulse; (b) with said pulse generator monitoring short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the delivery of the ventricular pacing pulse that followed the induced PAC; (c) performing at least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment, based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the delivery of the ventricular pacing pulse that followed the induced PAC; and (d) storing information obtained in step (c) for use in providing therapy for the patient. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. For use with an implantable pulse generator, a method of performing a cardiac assessment comprising:
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(a) inducing multiple premature atrial contractions (PACs) with said pulse generator to thereby cause multiple corresponding premature contractions in the ventricles; (b) with said pulse generator, monitoring short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs and determining a degree of the short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs; (c) performing a cardiac assessment with said pulse generator based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs and identifying periods, when the measured degree crosses a corresponding threshold in a specified direction, as myocardial ischemic events and assessing an ischemic burden based on the identified myocardial ischemic events; and (d) storing information indicative of a patient'"'"'s condition based on the assessed ischemic burden for guiding therapy for the patient. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. For use with an implantable pulse generator, a method of performing a cardiac assessment comprising:
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(a) inducing multiple premature atrial contractions (PACs) with said pulse generator to thereby cause multiple corresponding premature contractions in the ventricles; (b) with said pulse generator, monitoring short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs and determining a degree of the short-term fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs; and (c) performing a cardiac assessment with said pulse generator based on the monitored fluctuations in cardiac intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles caused by the induced PACs and identifying periods, when the measured degree deviates from a baseline by more than a threshold, as myocardial ischemic events, as myocardial ischemic events and assessing an ischemic burden based on the identified myocardial ischemic events; and (d) storing information indicative of a patient'"'"'s condition based on the assessed ischemic burden for guiding therapy for the patient. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification