Heart monitoring apparatus
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
Heart monitoring apparatus with sensing stage connectable to intracardiac electrode picking up electric potentials and adapted to process electric signals representing a time course of said potentials, a mechanical action detection stage adapted to generate a geometry signal having a time course reflecting heart chamber'"'"'s geometry change, an evaluation unit connected to sensing stage and impedance measuring stage and adapted to determine a first and second fiducial point in the time course of said potentials and geometry signal, respectively, both fiducial points belonging to same heart cycle, and to determine a measured time delay between said fiducial points. Evaluation unit adapted to repeat said determined time delay to determine plurality of measured time delays and variance thereof or divergence of the statistical properties of cycle times based on said time course of said electric potentials versus cycle times based on said time course reflecting a change of a heart chamber'"'"'s geometry.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An implantable heart monitoring apparatus, comprising:
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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 determine a first fiducial point in the time course of said electric potentials and a 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 determine a 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 delays and to determine a 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, or a 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for monitoring a heart'"'"'s health state comprising:
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acquiring a signal that represents a time course of electric potentials with at least one intracardiac electrode configured to pick up electric potentials of a myocardium of a heart'"'"'s ventricle or atrium; acquiring a geometry signal having a time course that reflects a change of a heart chamber'"'"'s geometry using said at least one intracardiac electrode coupled with a impedance measuring stage within an implantable heart apparatus; determining a first fiducial point in the time course of said electric potentials; determining a second fiducial point in the time course of said geometry signal, said first fiducial point and said second fiducial point belonging to the same heart cycle; determining a measured time delay between said first and said second fiducial point 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; repeating said determining said measured time delay between two fiducial points to thus determine a plurality of measured time delays; and determining a 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, or a 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 generating 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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification