Methods and systems to correlate arrhythmic and ischemic events

• US 8,433,397 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ostrow, Eliot L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): So, Elizabeth K
• Application Number:
  US12/770,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 607/5, 607/14, 600/508, 600/513, 600515-518
• US Class Current: 600/515
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining whether there is a correlation between arrhythmias and myocardial ischemic episodes are provided. An implantable system (e.g., a monitor, pacemaker or ICD) is used to monitor for arrhythmias and to monitor for myocardial ischemic episodes. When such events are detected by the implantable system, the implantable system stores (e.g., in its memory) data indicative of the detected arrhythmias and data indicative of the detected myocardial, ischemic episodes. Then, for each detected arrhythmia, a determination is made based on the data, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within a specified temporal proximity of (e.g., within a specified amount of time of) the arrhythmia. Where a myocardial ischemic episode occurred within the specified temporal proximity of an arrhythmia, data for the two events can be linked. Additionally, when a log of arrhythmias is displayed, for each arrhythmia there is an indication of whether a myocardial ischemic episode was detected within the specified temporal proximity of the arrhythmia. This abstract is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether there is a correlation between arrhythmias and myocardial ischemic episodes experienced by a patient, comprising:

using an implantable system to monitor for arrhythmias and to monitor for myocardial ischemic episodes;

storing, within the implantable system, data indicative of detected arrhythmias and data indicative of detected myocardial ischemic episodes;

communicating information regarding detected arrhythmias and detected myocardial ischemic episodes from the implantable system to an external device;

for each detected arrhythmia, determining, based on the data, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within a specified time before the arrhythmia; and

displaying on an external display an indicator that a detected arrhythmia and a detected myocardial ischemic episode occurred within the specified time of each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step is performed by the implantable system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stored at the storing step is transmitted from the implantable system to the external device, and wherein the determining step is performed by the external device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a myocardial ischemic episode is detected within the specified time before a detected arrhythmia, linking data indicative of the myocardial ischemic episode with data indicative of the arrhythmia.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a log of detected arrhythmias that indicates, for each arrhythmia, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within the specified time before the arrhythmia.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a log of detected myocardial ischemic episodes that indicates, for each episode, whether there was an arrhythmia within the specified time of the episode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

allowing a user to select one of the myocardial ischemic episodes from the log; and

when an arrhythmia was detected within the specified time of the selected myocardial ischemic episode, displaying information about both the selected myocardial ischemic episode and the arrhythmia.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, based on the data, information indicative of each arrhythmia for which a myocardial ischemic episode was detected within the specified time of the arrhythmia, and information indicative of each myocardial ischemic episode that was detected within the specified time of the arrhythmia.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the using step includes monitoring an IEGM signal sensed by the implantable device;

the storing step includes storing IEGM data for each detected myocardial ischemic episode and each detected arrhythmia; and

further comprising displaying IEGM information for each arrhythmia for which a myocardial ischemic episode was detected within the specified time of the arrhythmia, and IEGM information for each myocardial ischemic episode that occurred within the specified time of the arrhythmia.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the storing step includes storing timing data for each detected myocardial ischemic episode and each arrhythmia; and

the determining step includes for each detected arrhythmia, determining, based on the timing data, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within the specified time of the arrhythmia.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining what percentage of detected arrhythmias during a period of time occurred within the specified time of an ischemic episode; and

displaying the determined percentage.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining what number of detected arrhythmias, out of a total number of detected arrhythmias during a period of time, occurred within the specified time of an ischemic episode; and

displaying the determined number and the total number.