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Heart monitoring apparatus

  • US 7,985,185 B2
  • Filed: 06/03/2008
  • Issued: 07/26/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An implantable heart monitoring apparatus, comprising:

  • at least one intracardiac electrode configured to pick up electric potentials of a myocardium of a heart'"'"'s ventricle or atrium;

    at least one sensing stage connected to said at least one intracardiac electrode, wherein said at least one sensing stage is configured to process electric signals that represent a time course of said electric potentials;

    at least one mechanical action detection stage configured to generate a geometry signal that reflects mechanical action of a heart chamber, said geometry signal having a time course that reflects a change of a heart chamber'"'"'s geometry wherein said at least one mechanical action detection stage comprises an impedance measuring stage within said implantable heart monitoring apparatus that is connected to said at least one intracardiac electrode and configured to determine a time course of an intracardiac impedance or conductance signal that reflects an intracardiac impedance or conductance detected with said at least one intracardiac electrode, wherein said intracardiac impedance or conductance signal is utilized as said geometry signal;

    an evaluation unit coupled with said at least one sensing stage and to said at least one mechanical action detection stage, said evaluation unit configured to determinea first fiducial point in the time course of said electric potentials anda second fiducial point in the time course of said geometry signal,wherein said first fiducial point and said second fiducial point belong to a same heart cycle, and wherein said evaluation unit is further configured to determinea measured time delay between said first and said second fiducial points that represent a difference in time between corresponding points in said time course of said electric potentials versus said time course of said geometry signal respectively;

    said evaluation unit further configured to repeat said determination of said measured time delay between two fiducial points to thus determine a plurality of measured time delaysand to determinea variance of said plurality of measured time delays based on said time course of said electric potentials versus said time course of said geometry signal,ora divergence of statistical properties of cycle times that are based on said time course of said electric potentials versus cycle times that are based on said time course that reflect said change of said heart chamber'"'"'s geometry; and

    ,generate an output signal that indicates a state of heart failure based on said time course of said electric potentials versus said time course of said geometry signal.

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