Detection of function of implanted medical devices

• US 7,787,952 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Young, Brian J., Albert, David E., Gray, James M., Hernke, David G., Schluter, Paul S., Wolfe, Robert T., Brodnick, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US11/933,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/5, 607/9, 607 27- 31, 607/601, 128/901
• US Class Current: 607/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/35 by template matching
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7217 of noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus, e.g. from a pacemaker
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36843 Bi-ventricular stimulation

Abstract

A monitoring system and method for monitoring signals from an implantable medical device are disclosed. The monitoring system and method include a monitor configured to detect a radio frequency artifact from the signals of the implantable medical device and circuitry for processing the radio frequency artifact from the signals of the implantable medical device.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring signals form an implantable medical device that provides a stimulus to a patient comprising:

detecting a radio frequency artifact from implantable medical device; and

processing the radio frequency artifact from the implantable medical device in order to determine where artifact occurs in an ECG and identify heartbeats that are paced and heartbeats that are paced and heartbeats that are not paced and occurrences of pacing that fail to stimulate a heart beat.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising excluding artifact from heart rate determinations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the radio frequency artifact comprises using a monitor having an antenna that receives the signals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the radio frequency artifact comprises using circuitry capable of monitoring multiple channels of the signals.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a slew limit to limit pace artifact energy in the signals.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a tunable band pass filter to isolate the radio frequency artifact from ambient noise.

7. A monitoring method comprising:

detecting a radio frequency artifact from signals of an implantable pacemaker;

processing the radio frequency artifact from the signals of the implantable pacemaker;

determining where radio frequency artifact occurs in an ECG;

identifying heart beats that are paced and heart beats that are not paced and occurrences of pacing that fail to stimulate a heart beat;

excluding voltage artifact from a heart rate determination.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising classifying pacing stimuli according to heart chamber location.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein detecting the radio frequency artifact comprises using a monitor having an antenna that receives the signals.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein processing the radio frequency artifact comprises using circuitry capable of monitoring multiple channels of the signals.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a slew limit to limit pace artifact energy in the signals.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a tunable band pass filter to isolate the radio frequency artifact from ambient noise.

13. A method of monitoring signals form an implantable medical device that provides a stimulus to a patient comprising:

detecting a radio frequency artifact from implantable medical device;

processing the radio frequency artifact from the implantable medical device in order to determine where artifact occurs in an ECG and identify heartbeats that are paced and heartbeats that are paced and heartbeats that are not paced and occurrences of pacing that fail to stimulate a heart beat;

classifying pacing stimuli according to heart chamber location; and

excluding artifact from heart rate determinations.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein detecting the radio frequency artifact comprises using a monitor having an antenna that receives the signals.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein processing the radio frequency artifact comprises using circuitry capable of monitoring multiple channels of the signals.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a slew limit to limit pace artifact energy in the signals.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein processing the voltage artifact further comprises using a tunable band pass filter to isolate the radio frequency artifact from ambient noise.