Systems and methods to synchronize commands sent to a multi-electrode lead (MEL) with a portion of a cardiac pacing cycle
First Claim
1. A method for use by an implantable cardiac stimulation device to which a multi-electrode lead (MEL) is attached, the implantable cardiac stimulation device includingsensing circuitry adapted to selectively obtain, using electrodes selectively connected to the sensing circuitry, one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity,storage circuitry adapted to store data indicative of at least one of the one or more signals obtained using the sensing circuitry,a controller adapted to generate one or more commands that are to be sent to control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, the control circuitry within the MEL adapted to configure electrodes of the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, andpulse generator circuitry adapted to selectively produce cardiac pacing pulses,wherein the MEL, which is attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, comprises a multi-conductor bus that includes two conductors,the method for use when sending one or more commands to the control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, the method comprising:
- selectively connecting the sensing circuitry to, and disconnecting the sensing circuitry from, the multi-conductor bus of the MEL; and
sending one or more commands, over at least one of the two conductors of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL, to the control circuitry within the MEL, between instances when the sensing circuitry is connected to the multi-conductor bus of the MEL and is being used to obtain the one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention concern the timing of sending one or more commands to control circuitry of a multi-electrode lead (MEL). In one embodiment, the one or more commands are sent to control circuitry within the MEL during a predetermined portion of a cardiac pacing cycle to avoid potential problems of prior systems that were not synchronized with the cardiac pacing cycle. In one embodiment, the one or more commands are sent when cardiac tissue is refractory from a cardiac pacing pulse, to prevent the command(s) from potentially undesirably stimulating cardiac tissue. The command sending can occur such that the one or more commands are sent between instances when sensing circuitry of the implantable cardiac stimulation device is being used to obtain one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity, to prevent interference between the one or more commands with the signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity that are sensed.
18 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for use by an implantable cardiac stimulation device to which a multi-electrode lead (MEL) is attached, the implantable cardiac stimulation device including
sensing circuitry adapted to selectively obtain, using electrodes selectively connected to the sensing circuitry, one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity, storage circuitry adapted to store data indicative of at least one of the one or more signals obtained using the sensing circuitry, a controller adapted to generate one or more commands that are to be sent to control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, the control circuitry within the MEL adapted to configure electrodes of the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, and pulse generator circuitry adapted to selectively produce cardiac pacing pulses, wherein the MEL, which is attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, comprises a multi-conductor bus that includes two conductors, the method for use when sending one or more commands to the control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, the method comprising: -
selectively connecting the sensing circuitry to, and disconnecting the sensing circuitry from, the multi-conductor bus of the MEL; and sending one or more commands, over at least one of the two conductors of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL, to the control circuitry within the MEL, between instances when the sensing circuitry is connected to the multi-conductor bus of the MEL and is being used to obtain the one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An implantable cardiac stimulation device, comprising:
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sensing circuitry adapted to selectively obtain, using electrodes selectively connected to the sensing circuitry, one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity; storage circuitry adapted to store data indicative of at least one of the one or more signals obtained using the sensing circuitry; pulse generator circuitry adapted to selectively produce cardiac pacing pulses; switching circuitry adapted to selectively connect and disconnect the sensing circuitry to and from a multi-conductor bus of a multi-electrode lead (MEL) attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device and selectively connect and disconnect the pulse generator circuitry to and from the multi-conductor bus of the MEL, wherein the multi-conductor bus of the MEL includes two conductors; and a controller adapted to send one or more commands over at least one of the two conductors of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, to control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, between instances when sensing circuitry is connected by the switching circuitry to the multi-conductor bus of the MEL and is being used to obtain the one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for use by an implantable cardiac stimulation device, the method for use when sending one or more commands to control circuitry within a multi-electrode lead (MEL) attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, wherein the MEL, which is attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, comprises a multi-conductor bus that includes two conductors, the method comprising:
sending one or more commands, over at least one of the two conductor of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, to control circuitry within the MEL, during a predetermined portion of a cardiac pacing cycle such that the one or more commands are sent when cardiac tissue is refractory from a cardiac pacing pulse, wherein the cardiac pacing pulse includes a primary pace pulse portion and an initial charge balancing portion and a later charge balancing portion, wherein the charge balancing of the initial charge balancing portion is done at a faster rate than the charge balancing of the later charge balancing portion and wherein the sending step begins a predetermined delay after a specified feature of the primary pace pulse portion and during the initial charge balancing portion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An implantable cardiac stimulation device, comprising:
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sensing circuitry adapted to selectively obtain, using electrodes selectively connected to the sensing circuitry, one or more signals indicative of cardiac electrical activity; storage circuitry adapted to store data indicative of at least one of the one or more signals obtained using the sensing circuitry; pulse generator circuitry adapted to selectively produce cardiac pacing pulses, wherein the said cardiac pacing pulses each includes a primary pace pulse portion and an initial charge balancing portion, wherein said initial charge balancing portion occurs after the primary pace pulse portion; and a controller adapted to send one or more electrode configuration commands, over at least one of two conductors of a multi-conductor bus of a multi-electrode lead (MEL) attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, to control circuitry within the MEL attached to the implantable cardiac stimulation device, during a predetermined portion of a cardiac pacing cycle such that the one or more electrode configuration commands are sent over the at least one of two conductors of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL when cardiac tissue is refractory from the cardiac pacing pulse, and wherein the controller is adapted to send the one or more electrode configuration commands over the at least one of the two conductors of the multi-conductor bus of the MEL beginning a predetermined delay after a specified feature of the primary pace pulse portion and during the initial charge balancing portion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification