Method for determining a metric of non-sustained arrhythmia occurrence for use in arrhythmia prediction and automatic adjustment of arrhythmia detection parameters

• US 20040064062A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaohong, Stadler, Robert W., Gunderson, Bruce D., Olson, Walter H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/515
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion

Abstract

An implantable medical device and associated method are provided for detecting non-sustained arrhythmias and determining a metric of non-sustained arrhythmias. The metric may be used for predicting the occurrence of a sustained arrhythmia or for automatically adjusting the parameters used for detecting a sustained arrhythmia.

Claims

1. A method for determining a metric of the occurrence of non-sustained arrhythmias comprising;

detecting non-sustained arrhythmia episodes as episodes;

storing characteristic data related to the non-sustained arrhythmia; and

calculating a metric of non-sustained arrhythmias based on the stored data.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein stored characteristic data includes one of:

a number of non-sustained arrhythmia episodes within a specified period of time;

a duration of a non-sustained arrhythmia episode;

a cycle length during a non-sustained arrhythmia episode; and

a cardiac signal morphology during a non-sustained arrhythmia episode.

3. The method according to claim 2, further including a method for predicting the occurrence of a sustained arrhythmia based on the metric of non-sustained arrhythmias comprising:

calculating an arrhythmia risk score based on a metric of non-sustained arrhythmias;

comparing the risk score to a predefined or automatically updated threshold criteria; and

predicting that a sustained arrhythmia is likely to occur with a high probability if the risk score meets or exceeds the threshold criteria.

4. The method according to claim 3, further including delivering a preventative therapy if a sustained arrhythmia is predicted to occur.

5. The method according to claim 3, further including adjusting the threshold criteria based on a detected sustained arrhythmia.

6. The method according to claim 2, further including adjusting a parameter for detecting a sustained arrhythmia based on a metric of non-sustained arrhythmia occurrence.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the parameter for detecting a sustained arrhythmia is adjusted by increasing the number of cardiac cycle intervals occurring in an arrhythmia detection zone required to detect a sustained arrhythmia.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the parameter is adjusted based on a metric of the duration of non-sustained arrhythmia episodes.