Method for digital cardiac rhythm management

• US 7,616,991 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eigler, Neal L., Whiting, James S., Mann, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel; George
• Application Number:
  US11/027,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 607 31- 33, 607/119, 607/60, 607/116, 607/9
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/025 Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/288 for artificial respiration or heart massage

Abstract

A cardiac rhythm management apparatus includes a proximal housing, a distal housing and a lead. The proximal housing includes a first energy storage device. The distal module is implantable within a patient'"'"'s heart, and includes a second energy storage device, at least one electrode, and a control module. The control module controls the delivery of at least one electrical stimulus from the second energy storage device to a location in communication with the patient'"'"'s heart. The lead connects the proximal housing to the distal module and is configured to communicate one or more digital signals between the proximal housing and the distal module.

Claims

1. A method of managing a cardiac rhythm in a medical patient, comprising:

implanting a proximal housing in a location external to the patient'"'"'s heart wherein said proximal housing is configured to store energy;

implanting a distal module in the patient'"'"'s heart;

implanting a lead in the patient to couple said proximal housing and said distal module;

communicating a digital electrical transmission from the proximal housing external to the patient'"'"'s heart to the distal module inside the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein the digital electrical transmission comprises a digital power interval portion and a digital instruction interval portion, and wherein said communicating comprises transferring at least a portion of said stored energy from said proximal housing to said distal module via the digital power interval portion;

storing said transferred energy in said distal module; and

delivering at least a portion of the transferred energy in the distal module as one or more electrical pulses to the heart, thereby managing a cardiac rhythm in the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the electrical activity of the medical patient'"'"'s heart with a sensing electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering said one or more electrical pulses to the heart using a pacing electrode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring a pressure signal indicative of a pressure within a left atrium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating the digital electrical transmission further comprises communicating the digital power interval portion during a first interval of a predefined timeframe, and communicating the digital instruction interval portion after the digital power interval portion and before a second digital power interval portion, the second digital power interval portion configured to be communicated during a second predefined timeframe.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing defibrillation protection.

7. A method of managing a cardiac rhythm in a medical patient, comprising:

implanting a proximal housing, a distal module, and a lead coupling said proximal housing and said distal module in a patient, wherein said distal module is implanted inside of the patient'"'"'s heart;

communicating a digital electrical transmission according to a digital communication protocol from the proximal housing to the distal module inside the patient'"'"'s heart using said lead, wherein the digital electrical transmission comprises a digital power interval portion and a digital instruction interval portion, and wherein said communicating comprises transferring energy from said proximal housing to said distal module via the digital power interval portion of said digital electrical transmission;

storing said transferred energy from said proximal housing with an energy storage device in the distal module; and

delivering one or more electrical pulses to the heart from said energy storage device in the distal module, thereby managing a cardiac rhythm in the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sensing the electrical activity of the medical patient'"'"'s heart with a sensing electrode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said delivering further comprises delivering said one or more electrical pulses to the heart using a pacing electrode.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of measuring a pressure signal indicative of a pressure within a left atrium.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing defibrillation protection.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said communicating the digital electrical transmission further comprises communicating the digital power interval portion during a first interval of a predefined timeframe, and communicating the digital instruction interval portion after the digital power interval portion and before a second digital power interval portion, the second digital power interval portion configured to be communicated during a second predefined timeframe.

13. A method of managing a cardiac rhythm in a medical patient, comprising:

providing a proximal housing adapted to be implanted within a patient at a location external to the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein said proximal housing is configured to store energy;

providing a distal module adapted to be implanted within the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein the distal module in communication with a sensor configured to sense a physiological parameter of the patient, and wherein the distal module is configured to provide defibrillation protection;

providing a lead adapted to be implanted within the patient, wherein the lead provides electrical communication between said proximal housing and said distal module; and

communicating a digital electrical transmission between the proximal housing and distal module, wherein during a first mode of operation said communicating comprises sending the digital electrical transmission from the proximal housing to the distal module, and wherein during a second mode of operation said communicating comprises sending the digital electrical transmission from the distal module to the proximal housing;

wherein during the first mode of operation the digital electrical transmission comprises a digital power interval portion and a digital instruction interval portion, and said communicating further comprises transferring at least a portion of said stored energy from said proximal housing to said distal module via said digital power interval portion; and

wherein during the second mode of operation the digital electrical transmission comprises digitized physiological data received by the distal module from said sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing said transferred energy in an energy storage device in said distal module.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising delivering at least a portion of the transferred energy in the energy storage device to the heart.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said delivering comprises delivering at least a portion of the transferred energy in the distal module to the heart with an electrode.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising sensing the electrical activity of the medical patient'"'"'s heart with a sensing electrode.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of measuring a pressure signal indicative of a pressure within a left atrium.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said digital electrical transmission comprises a substantially square-shaped signal.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said digital electrical transmission comprises at least one pulse, and wherein the time between consecutive pulses is substantially constant.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said digital electrical transmission comprises at least one power pulse having at least one power pulse amplitude and at least one data pulse having at least one data pulse amplitude, wherein said power pulse amplitude is substantially equal to said data pulse amplitude.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said digital electrical transmission comprises at least one power pulse having at least one power pulse amplitude and at least one data pulse having at least one data pulse amplitude, wherein said power pulse amplitude is greater than said data pulse amplitude.