Implantable medical device crosstalk evaluation and mitigation

• US 8,005,539 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Davis, Timothy, Arne, Gerald P., Peichel, David J., Burnes, John E., Krause, Paul G., Donofrio, William T., Zhou, Xiaohong, Reinke, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US12/362,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 128/901
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36521 the parameter being derived from measurement of an electrical impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient

Abstract

Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first characteristic of a first electrical cardiac signal of a patient sensed by a first implantable medical device (IMD);

determining a second characteristic of a second electrical cardiac signal of the patient sensed by the first IMD while a second IMD delivers electrical stimulation to a tissue site within the patient, wherein the first and second IMDs are implanted within the patient;

determining an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics; and

generating a notification based the electrical noise status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second characteristics comprise an amplitude of a P-wave of the first and second electrical cardiac signals, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second characteristics comprise an amplitude of an R-wave of the first and second electrical cardiac signals, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the first electrical cardiac signal with the first implantable medical device (IMD) while the second IMD is not delivering electrical stimulation to the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics comprises:

determining a difference between the first and second characteristics; and

comparing the difference to a threshold value, wherein the electrical noise status is based on the comparison of the difference to the threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value is less than about 100 percent (%) of the first characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold value is about 0 percent (%) to about 25% of the first characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a visual, auditory or somatosensory notification.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an intensity of the visual, auditory or somatosensory notification is determined based on the electrical noise status.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying at least one of a stimulation parameter with which the second implantable medical device (IMD) generates electrical stimulation that is delivered to the tissue site or a sensing parameter with which the first IMD senses the first electrical signal based on the noise status.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the stimulation parameter comprises at least one of a current amplitude, a voltage amplitude, a pulse width, a pulse rate, a frequency, a duty cycle or an electrode combination.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensing parameter comprises at least one of a sensing threshold value, an amplifier gain, a sensing vector, filter characteristic, or a type of physiological parameter of the patient that is sensed by the first implantable medical device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue site comprises at least one of a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue site comprises at least one of an extravascular tissue site or the tissue site proximate to a nerve of the patient.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first implantable medical device delivers at least one of pacing, cardioversion or defibrillation therapy to a heart of the patient.

16. A system comprising:

a first implantable medical device (IMD) that senses first and second electrical cardiac signals of a heart of a patient;

a second IMD that delivers a second electrical signal to a patient, wherein the first IMD senses the second electrical cardiac signal while the second IMD delivers electrical stimulation to a tissue site within patient; and

a processor that determines a first characteristic of the first electrical signal and a second characteristic of a second electrical cardiac signal, determines an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics, and generates a notification based the electrical noise status.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second characteristics comprise at least one of an amplitude of a P-wave or an R-wave of the first and second electrical cardiac signals, respectively.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first implantable medical device (IMD) senses the first electrical cardiac signal while the second IMD is not actively delivering electrical stimulation to the tissue site.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor determines the electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics by at least determining a difference between the first and second characteristics and comparing the difference to a threshold value, wherein the electrical noise status is based on the comparison of the difference to the threshold value.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the threshold value is less than about 100 percent (%) of the first characteristic.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a visual, auditory or somatosensory notification.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor modulates an intensity of the visual, auditory or somatosensory notification based on the electrical noise status.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor modifies at least one of a stimulation parameter with which the second implantable medical device (IMD) generates electrical stimulation that is delivered to the tissue site or a sensing parameter with which the first IMD senses the first and second electrical cardiac signals based on the noise status.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the tissue site comprises at least one of a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the first implantable medical device delivers at least one of pacing, cardioversion or defibrillation therapy to a heart of the patient.

26. A system comprising:

means for determining a first characteristic of a first electrical cardiac signal of a heart of a patient sensed by a first implantable medical device (IMD);

means for determining a second characteristic of a second electrical cardiac signal of the heart sensed by the first IMD while a second IMD delivers electrical stimulation to a tissue site within the patient, wherein the first and second IMDs are implanted within the patient;

means for determining an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics; and

means for generating a notification based the electrical noise status.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for determining an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics comprises:

means for determining a difference between the first and second characteristics; and

means for comparing the difference to a threshold value, wherein the electrical noise status is based on the comparison of the difference to the threshold value.

28. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable processor to:

determine a first characteristic of a first electrical cardiac signal of a heart of a patient sensed by a first implantable medical device (IMD);

determine a second characteristic of a second electrical cardiac signal of the heart sensed by the first IMD while a second IMD delivers electrical stimulation to a tissue site within the patient, wherein the first and second IMDs are implanted within the patient;

determine an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics; and

generate a notification based the electrical noise status.

29. A method comprising evaluating crosstalk between a first implantable medical device (IMD) implanted within a patient and a second IMD implanted within the patient with an external device, wherein the external device:

determines a first characteristic of a first electrical cardiac signal of a heart of a patient sensed by the first IMD;

determines a second characteristic of a second electrical cardiac signal of the heart sensed by the first IMD while a second IMD delivers electrical stimulation to a tissue site within the patient;

determines an electrical noise status based on the first and second characteristics; and

generates a notification based the electrical noise status.