Method and apparatus for electrically forcing cardiac output in an arrhythmia patient
First Claim
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1. A method for treating an arrhythmia in a patient, comprising the steps of:
- a. attaching a plurality of electrodes to external portions of a patient'"'"'s body proximate the patient'"'"'s thoracic region so that the electrodes may deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body;
b. detecting the presence of arrhythmia in the patient;
c. delivering non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient'"'"'s body via the electrodes after detecting an arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock, and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; and
d. delivering at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient'"'"'s heart.
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Abstract
An electrical method and apparatus for stimulating cardiac cells causing contraction to force hemodynamic output during fibrillation, hemodynamically compromising tachycardia, or asystole. Forcing fields are applied to the heart to give cardiac output on an emergency basis until the arrhythmia ceases or other intervention takes place. The device is used as a stand alone external or internal device, or as a backup to an ICD, atrial defibrillator, or an anti-tachycardia pacemaker. The method and apparatus maintain some cardiac output and not necessarily defibrillation.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. A method for treating an arrhythmia in a patient, comprising the steps of:
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a. attaching a plurality of electrodes to external portions of a patient'"'"'s body proximate the patient'"'"'s thoracic region so that the electrodes may deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body; b. detecting the presence of arrhythmia in the patient; c. delivering non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient'"'"'s body via the electrodes after detecting an arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock, and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; and d. delivering at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient'"'"'s heart. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for treating a tachyarrhythmia in a patient, comprising the steps of:
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a. attaching a plurality of electrodes to external portions of a patient'"'"'s body proximate the patient'"'"'s thoracic region so that the electrodes may deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body; b. detecting the presence of tachyarrhythmia in the patient; c. delivering the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient'"'"'s body via the electrodes after detecting an tachyarrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock, and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; d. delivering at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient'"'"'s heart. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system, for external use on a human body, for maintaining some cardiac output of a patient'"'"'s heart during arrhythmia using electrical current, comprising:
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a. a power supply; b. an arrhythmia detector connected to the power supply; c. capacitor charging circuitry connected to the power supply; d. output circuitry connected to the capacitor charging circuitry and the power supply for delivering at least one non-defibrillatory electrical current pulse through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body after detection of arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulse having an amplitude less than the amplitude necessary to defibrillate the patient, and greater than that which would only pace the heart; e. output control circuitry connected to the arrhythmia detector, the power supply, the capacitor charging circuitry, and the first output circuitry, the output control circuitry providing pulses suitable for producing contraction in the patient'"'"'s muscles sufficient to maintain a level of cardiac output which is a fraction of the normal maximum cardiac output; and f. the capacitor charging circuitry cooperating with the output control circuitry and the power supply and adapted for delivering at least one defibrillation pulse to the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A system, for external use on a human body, for maintaining some cardiac output of a patient'"'"'s heart during tachyarrhythmia using electrical current, comprising:
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a. a power supply; b. a tachyarrhythmia detector connected to the power supply; c. capacitor charging circuitry connected to the power supply; d. output circuitry connected to the capacitor charging circuitry and the power supply for delivering at least one non-defibrillatory electrical current pulse through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude less than the amplitude necessary to defibrillate the patient, and greater than that which would only pace the heart; e. output control circuitry connected to the tachyarrhythmia detector, the power supply, the capacitor charging circuitry, and the output circuitry, the output control circuitry providing pulses suitable for producing contraction in the patient'"'"'s muscles sufficient to maintain a level of cardiac output which is a fraction of the normal maximum cardiac output; and f. the capacitor charging circuitry cooperating with the output control circuitry and the power supply and adapted for delivering at least one defibrillation pulse to the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A tachyarrhythmia treating system, comprising:
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power supply means; arrhythmia detection means operably coupleable to the power supply means; pulse delivery means operably coupleable to the power supply means; output control means operably coupleable to the arrhythmia detection means, power supply means, and pulse delivery means; external defibrillation means operably coupleable with said output control means; and instructions recorded on a tangible medium for operating the system so as to treat an arrhythmia in a patient, the instructing including instructions to; attach the pulse delivery means to external portions of the patient'"'"'s body proximate the patient'"'"'s thoracic region so that the pulse delivery means can deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body; detect the presence of arrhythmia in the patient with the arrhythmia detection means; deliver non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient'"'"'s body via the pulse delivery means after detecting an arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; and deliver at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient'"'"'s heart with the external defibrillation means.
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72. A tachyarrhythmia treating system, comprising:
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a power supply; an arrhythmia detector connected to the power supply; capacitor charging circuitry connected to the power supply; output circuitry connected to the capacitor charging circuitry and the power supply; output control circuitry connected to the arrhythmia detector, the power supply, the capacitor charging circuitry, and the output circuitry, the output control circuitry providing pulses suitable for producing contraction in the patient'"'"'s muscles sufficient to maintain a level of cardiac output which is a fraction of the normal maximum cardiac output; the capacitor charging circuitry cooperating with the output control circuitry and the power supply and adapted for delivering at least one defibrillation pulse to the patient'"'"'s body; and instructions recorded on a tangible medium for operating the system so as to treat an arrhythmia in a patient, the instructing including instructions to; attach electrodes to external portions of the patient'"'"'s body proximate the patient'"'"'s thoracic region so that the output circuitry can deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient'"'"'s upper body; detect the presence of arrhythmia in the patient with the arrhythmia detector; deliver non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient'"'"'s body via the output circuitry after detecting an arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; and deliver at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient'"'"'s heart.
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Specification