Method and apparatus for stimulating a heart to eliminate rhythmic abnormalities, especially tachycardias
First Claim
1. A method of electrically stimulating a heart, comprising monitoring the heart for rhythmic abnormalities, measuring the duration of a first cardiac cycle immediately preceding a second cardiac cycle during which the heart is to be electrically stimulated, determining a delay period as a function of the said first cardiac cycle, generating a train of n consecutive stimulation pulses, n being greater than two, so that the train of n pulses straddles the end of the delay period running from the natural electrosystole at the beginning of said second cardiac cycle, and applying said train of n pulses to the heart.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for stimulating a heart to eliminate rhythmic abnormalities, especially tachycardias. In accordance with a method of orthorhythmic stimulation, the electric stimulation is applied after a delay period following a natural electrosystole. The electric stimulation comprises a train of pulses, preferably between three and twenty, which straddles the end of the delay period. Such trains of pulses may also alternate with one or more trains of a single pulse. The stimulator comprises a trigger responsive to the natural electrosystole of the heart, a first counter of predetermined frequency and a second counter of adjustable higher frequency serially connected to the first counter for driving a pulse generator generating the trains of pulses.
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11 Claims
- 1. A method of electrically stimulating a heart, comprising monitoring the heart for rhythmic abnormalities, measuring the duration of a first cardiac cycle immediately preceding a second cardiac cycle during which the heart is to be electrically stimulated, determining a delay period as a function of the said first cardiac cycle, generating a train of n consecutive stimulation pulses, n being greater than two, so that the train of n pulses straddles the end of the delay period running from the natural electrosystole at the beginning of said second cardiac cycle, and applying said train of n pulses to the heart.
- 7. A method of electrically stimulating a heart, comprising monitoring the heart for rhythmic abnormalities, measuring the duration of a first cardiac cycle immediately preceding a second cardiac cycle during which the heart is to be electrically stimulated, determining a delay period as a function of the first cardiac cycle, generating a train of more than two consecutive rectangular stimulation pulses each having a duration of about one millisecond and an amplitude in the order of 0.5 to 6.0 volts, the train of n pulses straddling the end of the delay period running from the natural electrosystole at the beginning of said second cardiac cycle, and applying said train of n pulses to the heart.
- 9. Apparatus for electric stimulating of a heart muscle, comprising a probe wire for monitoring the electric activity of the heart muscle, a trigger operatively connected to the probe wire, a first clock signal counter having a predetermined frequency F, a second clock counter having an adjustable frequency F" greater than F driven by the first clock counter, a pulse generator driven by the second clock counter, and a stimulation conductor connected to the pulse generator adapted to be applied to the patient.
Specification