Methods, devices and systems for single-chamber pacing using a dual-chamber pacing device

• US 8,290,586 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newstim, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Qingsheng, Ortega, Daniel Felipe, Spinelli, Julio César
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US12/249,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607 11- 15, 607/28
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems, methods and devices for cardiac applications including those relating to pacing devices. One such device is directed to a cardiac rhythm therapy (CRT) device designed for dual chamber pacing using two pacing signals each having a positive and negative component that has been modified for single chamber pacing. The device comprises a first output that connects to a pacing lead; a second output that connects to the pacing lead; a third output that connects to a reference point; and electrical circuitry connecting the second electrical connection to the first output, the third electrical connection to the second output, and the first and fourth electrical connections to the third output.

Claims

1. A pacing system comprising:

a signal generator that provides a first electrostimulation pulse and a second electrostimulation pulse, each electrostimulation pulse having positive and negative signal components, the first and second pulses including at least partially overlapping opposing polarity waveforms to pace a heart from a single chamber of the heart, the electrostimulation provided for delivery via a pacing lead having a first electrode and a second electrode;

and

circuitry for routing at least some of the signal components of the two electrostimulation pulses to the pacing lead by connecting a positive component of a first electrostimulation pulse and a negative component of a second electrostimulation pulse to a common reference and by connecting the negative component of the first electrostimulation pulse to the first electrode and the positive component of the second electrostimulation pulse to the second electrode.

2. The pacing system of claim 1, further including a first capacitive component for providing the first electrostimulation pulse and a second capacitive component for providing the second electrostimulation pulse.

3. The pacing system of claim 1, further including a configurable routing circuit for routing the electrostimulation pulses.

4. The pacing system of claim 1, further including an interface for electrically connecting to two outputs of the signal generator, each output configured for providing a respective one of the first and second electrostimulation pulses, to the pacing lead.

5. The pacing system of claim 1, further wherein the signal generator further includes a third electrostimulation output.

6. The pacing system of claim 1, further including a sense input for detecting electrical signals of the heart.

7. The pacing system of claim 1, further including pacing control circuitry for modifying the characteristics of the first and second electrostimulation pulses.

8. The pacing system of claim 1, further including a pacing lead for sensing atrial activity.

9. The pacing system of claim 1, further comprising a pacing lead configured for location in a right ventricle of a heart at or near a bundle of His.

10. For use with a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device designed for biventricular pacing using a first electrostimulation pulse having a positive component provided to a first electrical connection and negative component provided to a second electrical connection and a second electrostimulation pulse with a positive component provided to a third electrical connection and negative component provided to a fourth electrical connection, the first and second pulses including at least partially overlapping opposing polarity waveforms, a circuit comprising:

a first output configured to be connected to a pacing lead;

a second output configured to be connected to the pacing lead;

a third output configured to be connected to a reference point; and

electrical circuitry connecting the second electrical connection to the first output, the third electrical connection to the second output, and the first and fourth electrical connections to the third output.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the electrical circuitry is programmable such that the first and second outputs can be connected to any of the outputs.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein each of the two electrostimulation pulses is generated using an independently referenced signal source.

13. The circuit of claim 10, further including two capacitive sources each having respective positive and negative terminals, the positive and negative terminals of the first capacitive source corresponding to the first and second electrical connections, respectively, and the positive and negative terminals of the second capacitive source corresponding to the third and fourth electrical connections, respectively, wherein each of the two electrostimulation pulses is provided by an independently referenced capacitive source.

14. A method of creating a pacing system from a cardiac rhythm therapy (CRT) device having a signal generator that provides a first electrostimulation pulse and a second electrostimulation pulse, each electrostimulation pulse having respective positive and negative signal components, the first and second pulses including at least partially overlapping opposing polarity waveforms, the method comprising:

providing a pacing lead for delivering pacing to a chamber of a heart, the pacing lead having a first electrode and a second electrode; and

connecting the signal components of the two electrostimulation pulses to the pacing lead by connecting a positive component of a first electrostimulation pulse and a negative component of a second electrostimulation pulse to a common reference and by connecting the negative component of the first electrostimulation pulse to the first electrode and the positive component of the second electrostimulation pulse to the second electrode.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of attaching an electrical interface to the CRT device, the electrical interface providing said connection of the signal components.

16. The method of claim 15, further including the step of connecting a sensing signal component to the pacing lead.

17. The method of claim 14, further including the step of configuring a programmable connection array of the CRT device, the configuration resulting in said connection of the signal components.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the electrostimulation pulses at a location in a right ventricle of a heart at or near a bundle of His.

19. A method of manufacturing a pacing system, the method comprising:

producing a signal generator that provides a first electrostimulation pulse and a second electrostimulation pulse, each pacing signal having respective positive and negative signal components, the first and second pulses including at least partially overlapping opposing polarity waveforms;

and

producing circuitry configured for routing the signal components of the two electrostimulation pulses via a pacing lead by connecting a positive component of the first electrostimulation pulse and a negative component of the second electrostimulation pulse to a common reference and by connecting the negative component of the first electrostimulation pulse to a first electrode and the positive component of the second electrostimulation pulse to the second electrode.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising producing a pacing lead for delivering the electrostimulation pulses to a location in a right ventricle of a heart at or near a bundle of His.