Implantable medical device for stimulating a physiological event of a living being with stimulation intensity adaptable to physical activity of the living being

• US 5,081,987 A
• Filed: 03/13/1990
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Nigam, Indra
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US07/492,828
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419 PG
• US Class Current: 607/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36542 controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators

Abstract

An implantable medical device comprising means for stimulating physiological event of a living being with a stimulation intensity adaptable to the physical activity of the living being in view of analysis of a signal generated by a sensor means corresponding to the physical activity of the living being. The device includes a memory optionally operable in a write mode or a read mode to which, in the write mode, data corresponding to the chronological curve of the signal of the sensor means can be supplied for storage and, in the read mode, can be recalled for telemetric transmission to a separate data processing means.

Claims

1. A device that is implantable into a body of a living being, comprising:

means for stimulating a physiological event of said living being with a variable stimulation intensity;

adjustment means operatively coupled to said means for stimulating for adapting the stimulation intensity to physical activity of said living being;

sensor means operatively coupled to said adjustment means for generating a signal corresponding to physical activity of said living being, said adjustment means adapting the stimulation intensity in view of said signal generated by said sensor means;

memory means for storing digital data which is selectively operable between read and write modes;

means for entering in said memory means said digital data corresponding to a chronological curve of said signal generated by said sensor means over a time span; and

means for recalling said digital data stored in said memory means and telemetrically transmitting said data to an external data processing means.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising means for telemetrically selecting operation of said memory means in said read or write mode via an external device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a plurality of individually addressable memory cells and said device includes means for addressing said cells in a defined sequence when said memory is operated in its write or read mode.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said addressing means addresses said memory cells only once each in said read and write modes.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said addressing means addresses said memory cells repeatedly in said read and write modes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a plurality of memory sectors, each of which is separately addressable via telemetric signals, each sector storing digital data corresponding to a chronological curve of said signal generated by said sensor means over a defined time span.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is a heart pacemaker and said means for stimulating stimulates the heart of said living being.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein said addressing means is telemetrically programmable.

9. A medical system, comprising a device that is implantable into a body of a living being and external data processing means telemetrically coupled to said device, wherein:

said device that is implantable into a body of a living being includes means for stimulating a physiological event of said living being with a variable stimulation intensity;

programmable adjustment means operatively coupled to said means for stimulating for adapting the stimulation intensity to physical activity of said living being;

sensor means operatively coupled to said adjustment means for generating a signal corresponding to physical activity of said living being, said adjustment means adapting the stimulation intensity in view of said signal generated by said sensor means;

memory means for storing digital data which is selectively operable between read and write modes;

means for entering in said memory means said digital data corresponding to a chronological curve of said signal generated by said sensor means over a time span; and

means for recalling said digital data stored in said memory means and telemetrically transmitting said digital data to said external data processing means; and

said data processing means telemetrically coupled to said device includes means for receiving said digital data from said device;

means for simulating the stimulation by said device in view of said digital data received from said device; and

means for telemetrically reprogramming said adjustment means.