Medical device with triggered blanking period

• US 9,526,909 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Kane, Michael J., Huelskamp, Paul, Maile, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US14/836,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy

Abstract

An implantable cardiac rhythm system includes a first implantable medical device configured to detect a first heartbeat from a first location, and a second implantable medical device configured to detect the first heart beat of the patient from a second location. The second implantable medical device, upon detecting the first heart beat, may communicate an indication of the detected first heart beat to the first implantable medical device, and in response, the first implantable medical device may institute a blanking period having a blanking period duration such that a T-wave of the detected first heart beat is blanked out by the first implantable medical device so as to not be interpreted as a subsequent second heart beat. In some instances, the first implantable medical device is an SICD and the second implantable medical device is a LCP.

Claims

1. An implantable cardiac rhythm system comprising:

a first implantable medical device configured to monitor a patient'"'"'s heart rhythm and provide shock therapy to correct the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm, the first implantable medical device further configured to detect a first heart beat of the patient from a first location;

a second implantable medical device configured to sense the patient'"'"'s heart, the second implantable medical device configured to detect the first heart beat of the patient from a second location; and

wherein the second implantable medical device, upon detecting the first heart beat, communicates an indication of the detected first heart beat to the first implantable medical device, and in response, the first implantable medical device institutes a blanking period having a blanking period duration such that a T-wave of the detected first heart beat is blanked out by the first implantable medical device so as to not be interpreted as a subsequent second heart beat.

2. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the first implantable medical device comprises a defibrillator or cardioverter.

3. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the first implantable medical device comprises a subcutaneous cardioverter.

4. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable medical device comprises a leadless cardiac pacemaker.

5. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable medical device communicates with the first implantable medical device via conducted communication.

6. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the communicated indication of the detected first heart beat comprises an R-wave detection marker.

7. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the blanking period duration is set based, at least in part, upon a current heart rate detected by one or both of the first implantable medical device and the second implantable medical device.

8. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the blanking period duration is set based, at least in part, upon whether the detected first heart beat is an intrinsic heart beat or a paced heart beat.

9. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein upon receiving the indication of the detected first heart beat from the second implantable medical device, the first implantable medical device continues to attempt to detect the first heart beat of the patient from the first location for a blanking time delay before instituting the blanking period.

10. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the blanking time delay is dependent upon a current heart rate of the patient.

11. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 1, wherein the first location is outside of the patient'"'"'s heart and the second location is within the patient'"'"'s heart.

12. The implantable cardiac rhythm system of claim 11, wherein the first location is outside of the patient'"'"'s chest cavity, and the second location is within a chamber of the patient'"'"'s heart.

13. An implantable medical device, comprising:

one or more electrodes for detecting a heart beat of a patient;

a receiver for receiving via conducted communication from another medical device an indication of a detected heart beat; and

in response to receiving the indication of the detected heart beat, instituting a blanking period having a blanking period duration, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to not identify a subsequent heart beat of the patient via the one or more electrodes of the implantable medical device during the blanking period duration.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein in response to receiving the indication of the detected heart beat, the implantable medical device continues to sense for the heart beat of the patient for a blanking time delay before instituting the blanking period.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the blanking period duration is set based, at least in part, upon a current heart rate of the patient.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the blanking period duration is set based, at least in part, upon whether the detected heart beat is an intrinsic heart beat or a paced heart beat.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the implantable medical device is a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter, and the another medical device is a leadless cardiac pacemaker.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the received indication of the detected heart beat comprises an R-wave detection marker.

19. A method of using data from a leadless cardiac pacemaker to improve performance of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter, the method comprising:

detecting a first heart beat via the leadless cardiac pacemaker;

detecting the first heart beat via the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter;

communicating an indication of the detected first heart beat detected by the leadless cardiac pacemaker to the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter; and

initiating a blanking period by the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter such that a T-wave of the detected first heart beat is blanked out by the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter so as to not be interpreted as a subsequent second heart beat.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the blanking period is configured such that a subsequent heart beat would be seen by the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter.