Blood oxygen monitoring system and a lead therefor
First Claim
1. An implantable cardiac stimulation system comprising:
- a cardiac stimulation lead in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites, said stimulation lead having at least one electrical conductor; and
a stimulation device comprising;
a processor;
an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood;
a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to the selected cardiac sites;
an oxygen monitoring pulse generator coupled to the processor and configured to generate a bi-phasic pulse train for application to the at least one electrical conductor between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses, the pulse train defining a data frame having a pre-determined number of bits including parameter information bits, wherein the oxygen monitoring circuit interrogates the patient'"'"'s blood during an interval between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses to measure the blood oxygen concentration utilizing respective ones of the pulse train bits for carrying commands and parameter information between the processor and oxygen monitoring circuit.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An oxygen monitoring system measures the oxygen concentration in a patient'"'"'s blood for use as a physiological control parameter in rate responsive pacing. The oxygen monitoring system includes an oxygen monitoring circuit embedded in a cardiac stimulation lead and monitors the blood oxygen in a patient'"'"'s venous system that passes through and into the lead. The oxygen monitoring circuit includes a working electrode, a counter electrode, a reference electrode and an IC chip electrically interconnected between the electrodes and programmed to carry out an oxygen concentration measuring process. Oxygen surrounding the electrodes causes current to flow between the electrodes and the IC chip varies the value of current generated by a current source coupled between the working electrode and counter electrode in a manner to maintain the voltage between the working electrode and reference electrode at a preselected value. The variation of the current source value is a direct measure of the blood oxygen concentration. The oxygen monitoring circuit may comprise an IC chip mounted on one side of a substrate and on the reverse side of which are mounted the electrodes or an IC chip(s) upon which the electrodes are directly mounted. Furthermore, the IC chip, with appropriate insulation may be used in place of the substrate. At least two insulated IC chips may be used, for example in a back to back arrangement, for increased overall sensitivity or redundancy.
12 Citations
45 Claims
-
1. An implantable cardiac stimulation system comprising:
-
a cardiac stimulation lead in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites, said stimulation lead having at least one electrical conductor; and
a stimulation device comprising;
a processor;
an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood;
a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to the selected cardiac sites;
an oxygen monitoring pulse generator coupled to the processor and configured to generate a bi-phasic pulse train for application to the at least one electrical conductor between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses, the pulse train defining a data frame having a pre-determined number of bits including parameter information bits, wherein the oxygen monitoring circuit interrogates the patient'"'"'s blood during an interval between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses to measure the blood oxygen concentration utilizing respective ones of the pulse train bits for carrying commands and parameter information between the processor and oxygen monitoring circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A cardiac stimulation lead for use with a cardiac stimulation device, the device comprising, a processor, a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to selected cardiac sites, an oxygen monitoring pulse generator coupled to the processor and configured to generate a digital pulse train defining a data frame for application to the cardiac stimulation lead between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses, the pulse train having a pre-determined number of bits including parameter information bits, the stimulation lead comprising:
-
at least one electrical conductor, said lead being in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites; and
an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood, wherein the oxygen monitoring circuit interrogates the patient'"'"'s blood during an interval between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses to measure the blood oxygen concentration utilizing respective ones of the pulse train bits for carrying commands and parameter information between the processor and oxygen monitoring circuit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A cardiac stimulation lead for use with a cardiac stimulation device, the device comprising, a processor, a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to selected cardiac sites, an oxygen monitoring pulse generator coupled to the processor and configured to generate a biphasic pulse train for application to the cardiac stimulation lead between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses, the stimulation lead comprising:
-
at least one electrical conductor, said lead being in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites; and
an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood, wherein the oxygen monitoring circuit interrogates the patient'"'"'s blood during an interval between consecutive cardiac stimulation pulses to measure the blood oxygen concentration utilizing the pulse train for carrying commands and parameter information between the processor and oxygen monitoring circuit.
-
-
24. A cardiac stimulation lead for use with a cardiac stimulation device, the device comprising, a processor, a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to selected cardiac sites, an oxygen monitoring pulse generator coupled to the processor and configured to generate a pulse train for application to the cardiac stimulation lead, the stimulation lead comprising:
-
at least one electrical conductor, said lead being in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites; and
an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood, wherein the oxygen monitoring circuit interrogates the patient'"'"'s blood to measure the blood oxygen concentration utilizing the pulse train for carrying commands and parameter information between the processor and oxygen monitoring circuit. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A sensor for use in a cardiac stimulation lead to measure oxygen concentration in a patient'"'"'s blood comprising:
-
a substrate having opposite facing first and second sides, a plurality of electrodes mounted on the first side of the substrate, the electrodes immersed in an oxygen and electrically conductive gel, the gel being encased in a fluid impervious and oxygen transmissible sheath;
an IC chip mounted on the second side of the substrate, the IC chip being encased within a sealing cap hermetically sealed to the second side of the substrate; and
a plurality of electrical conductors passing through the substrate and interconnecting the electrodes to the IC chip, wherein said sensor is sized to fit within a cardiac stimulation lead. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
- 39. A sensor for use in a cardiac stimulation lead to measure oxygen concentration in a patients blood comprising an IC chip having first and second sides, a plurality of electrodes mounted on the first side of the IC chip, the electrodes immersed in an oxygen conductive gel, the gel being encased in a fluid impervious oxygen transmissible sheath, a plurality of electrical conductors selectively interconnecting the electrodes to the IC chip, a plurality of pads located on the IC chip outside of the sheath and a plurality of hermetic vias selectively coupled to the IC chip and the pads for providing electrical communication between the IC chip and the pads, the sensor, other than the sheath and the pads, being encased in a fluid impervious insulating material, the fluid impervious insulating material extending about a region around the electrodes so as to insulate the IC chip from the gel, and wherein said sensor is sized to fit within a cardiac stimulation lead.
-
44. An implantable cardiac stimulation system comprising:
-
a cardiac stimulation lead in contact with a patient'"'"'s blood stream and selected cardiac sites, said stimulation lead having at least one electrical conductor; and
a stimulation device comprising;
a processor; and
a cardiac stimulation pulse generator coupled and responsive to the processor and configured to deliver cardiac stimulation pulses via the cardiac stimulation lead to the selected cardiac sites, said cardiac stimulation lead further comprising an oxygen monitoring circuit electrically coupled to said at least one electrical conductor and in contact with the patient'"'"'s blood stream, said oxygen monitoring circuit configured to monitor the oxygen concentration of the patient'"'"'s blood and transmit a digital signal related to said oxygen concentration to the stimulation device. - View Dependent Claims (45)
-
Specification