System and method for communicating information using encoded pacing pulses within an implantable medical system
First Claim
1. A method for communicating information between first and second implantable medical devices implanted within a patient, the method comprising:
- generating a therapeutic electrical stimulation pulse using the first device, the stimulation pulse encoded with information to be communicated to the second device;
delivering the encoded therapeutic stimulation pulse to patient tissue in a first heart chamber;
detecting a far-field version of the therapeutic stimulation pulse within tissues of a second chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart using the second device; and
decoding the detected pulse using the second device to extract the encoded information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are provided for delivering cardiac pacing therapy to the heart of a patient using an epicardial left ventricular satellite pacing device in conjunction with primary pacemaker having at least a right ventricular pacing lead. In one embodiment described herein, right ventricular pulses generated by the primary pacemaker are detected by the satellite pacer and analyzed to determine the timing pattern employed by the primary pacemaker. The timing pattern is then used to specify the delivery times of epicardial left ventricular pulses so as to be synchronized with right ventricular pulses. In another embodiment described herein, the primary pacemaker modulates the right ventricular pulses to encode timing information, which is then detected and decoded by the satellite pacemaker. In this manner, biventricular pacing therapy, such as cardiac resynchronization therapy, may be conveniently delivered using a non-biventricular pacemaker in combination with an epicardial satellite pacer.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for communicating information between first and second implantable medical devices implanted within a patient, the method comprising:
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generating a therapeutic electrical stimulation pulse using the first device, the stimulation pulse encoded with information to be communicated to the second device; delivering the encoded therapeutic stimulation pulse to patient tissue in a first heart chamber; detecting a far-field version of the therapeutic stimulation pulse within tissues of a second chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart using the second device; and decoding the detected pulse using the second device to extract the encoded information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An implantable cardiac stimulation system for delivering cardiac stimulation therapy to the heart of a patient, the system having first and second separately implanted devices, comprising:
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an encodable pulse generator provided within the first device and operative to generate an encoded therapeutic electrical stimulation pulse for delivery to patient tissues in a first heart chamber, the pulse encoded with information to be communicated to the second device; and an encodable pulse detector provided within the second device and operative to detect a far-field version of the encoded therapeutic stimulation pulse within patient tissues in a second chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart and to decode the pulse to extract the encoded information. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An implantable cardiac stimulation system for delivering cardiac stimulation therapy to the heart of a patient, the system having first and second separately implanted devices, comprising:
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means, provided within the first device, for generating an encoded therapeutic electrical stimulation pulse for delivery to patient tissues in a first chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart, the pulse encoded with information to be communicated to the second device; and means, provided within the second device, for detecting a far field version of the encoded therapeutic stimulation pulse within patient tissues in a second chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart and for decoding the pulse to extract the encoded information.
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Specification