High accuracy painless method for measuring defibrillation lead impedance
First Claim
1. An automated method of determining defibrillation electrode impedance of at least a pair of defibrillation electrodes implanted proximate a heart of a patient comprising:
- applying a high current test pulse having a current greater than or equal to 1 ampere for a duration less than or equal to 3 microseconds to the defibrillation electrodes; and
automatically determining the impedance between the defibrillation electrodes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for accurately and painlessly measuring the impedance between defibrillation electrodes implanted in a patient utilize a high current test pulse delivered with a sufficiently high current to produce an accurate measurement of the defibrillation electrode impedance while limiting the duration of the test pulse such that the pain sensing cells in the patient do not perceive the test pulse. In one embodiment, the test pulse is generated from the high voltage transformer without storing energy in the high voltage capacitors and is delivered to the defibrillation electrodes in the patient utilizing the high voltage switching circuitry.
56 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An automated method of determining defibrillation electrode impedance of at least a pair of defibrillation electrodes implanted proximate a heart of a patient comprising:
-
applying a high current test pulse having a current greater than or equal to 1 ampere for a duration less than or equal to 3 microseconds to the defibrillation electrodes; and automatically determining the impedance between the defibrillation electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method, comprising:
-
providing an implantable cardioverter defibrillator that includes a high voltage transformer electrically connected between a battery and a high voltage capacitor configured to selectively deliver a therapeutic defibrillation shock through the defibrillation electrodes; providing instructions for implanting the cardioverter defibrillator in a patient, the instructions comprising; attaching at least a pair of defibrillation electrodes proximate a heart of the patient; using the implantable cardioverter defibrillator to apply a high current test pulse having a current greater than or equal to 1 ampere for a duration less than or equal to 3.0 microseconds to the defibrillation electrodes; and determining an impedance between the defibrillation electrodes, in response to the high current test pulse such that the impedance is determined without noticeable pain by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator comprising:
-
a high voltage transformer electrically connected between a battery and a high voltage capacitor configured to selectively deliver a therapeutic defibrillation shock through at least a pair of defibrillation electrodes; and means for delivering a high current test pulse having a current greater than or equal to 1 ampere for a duration less than or equal to 3 microseconds to the defibrillation electrodes; and means for automatically determining the impedance between the defibrillation electrodes in response to the high current test pulse such that the impedance is determined without noticeable pain by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification