System and method for emulating a surface EKG for use with transtelephonic monitoring of an implantable medical device
First Claim
1. A method for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which an implantable cardiac stimulation device is implanted, the method comprising:
- sensing first and second cardiac signals using electrodes implanted within the patient;
identifying a pair of baseline points in each of the first and second cardiac signals;
selectively concatenating that portion of the first cardiac signal that lies between the pair of baseline points with that portion of the second cardiac signal that lies outside the pair of baseline points, using the baseline points as concatenation points to generate an emulated surface EKG using the implantable device;
transmitting the emulated surface EKG to an external relay device; and
relaying the emulated surface EKG to a remote monitor using the external relay device.
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Abstract
A surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is emulated using signals detected by internal leads of an implanted device. In one example, emulation is performed using a technique that concatenates portions of signals sensed using different electrodes, such as by combining far-field ventricular signals sensed in the atria with far-field atrial signals sensed in the ventricles. In another example, emulation is performed using a technique that selectively amplifies or attenuates portions of a single signal, such as by attenuating near-field portions of an atrial unipolar signal relative to far-field portions of the same signal. The surface EKG emulation may be performed by the implanted device itself or by an external programmer based on cardiac signals transmitted thereto. A transtelephonic monitoring network is also described, wherein the emulated surface EKG (or raw data used to emulate the EKG) is relayed from an implanted device to a remote monitor, typically installed in a physician'"'"'s office.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient in which an implantable cardiac stimulation device is implanted, the method comprising:
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sensing first and second cardiac signals using electrodes implanted within the patient; identifying a pair of baseline points in each of the first and second cardiac signals; selectively concatenating that portion of the first cardiac signal that lies between the pair of baseline points with that portion of the second cardiac signal that lies outside the pair of baseline points, using the baseline points as concatenation points to generate an emulated surface EKG using the implantable device; transmitting the emulated surface EKG to an external relay device; and relaying the emulated surface EKG to a remote monitor using the external relay device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for use in emulating a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) of a patient, the system comprising:
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one or more electrodes implanted within the patient; sensing circuitry operative to sense first and second cardiac signals using the one or more electrodes; and a concatenation-based surface EKG emulation unit operative to selectively concatenate a portion of the first cardiac signal that lies between a pair of baseline points on the first cardiac signal with a portion of the second cardiac signal that lies outside the pair of baseline points, using the baseline points as concatenation points to generate an emulated surface EKG; and an external relay device operative to relay the emulated surface EKG from the implantable device to a remote monitor for display thereon.
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Specification