Medtronic, Inc.

Berthold Kramm

Marc Hendriks

Leo J Kretzers

Frank Van Wijk

A temporary cardiac electrical stimulating lead is disclosed where the lead body thereof may be removed from inside a patient through the application of a simple pulling force exerted on its proximal end. An electrode mounting pad is located at the distal end of the lead and has a stimulating electrode mounted thereon or therein. A distal end of the electrical conductor may serve as the stimulating electrode. The electrode mounting pad is preferably capable of biodegradably dissolving or otherwise dissociating over time in human body fluids. Thus, the lead body may be detached from the electrode mounting pad through the application of a simple pulling force and removed from the patient while the electrode mounting pad remains within the patient and dissolves or otherwise dissociates over time.

Temporary medical electrical lead having biodegradable electrode mounting pad

A system and method for more reliably detecting and treating arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation and tachycardia are provided. The system reacts to the detection of VF/VT by first looking for one or more sensed R waves to confirm arrhythmia. If the arrhythmia is confirmed, an appropriate shock is delivered directly. However, if the arrhythmia is not confirmed following a timed out confirmation duration, a pace pulse is delivered, following which the system looks to see if the pace pulse has resulted in capture of the patient's ventricle. Capture is determined by a examining sensed far field signals that correlate with the delivered pace pulse. In a preferred embodiment, the far field signals are sensed between a ventricular fibrillation coil and a second electrode, the second electrode suitably being either an SCV electrode or the surface of the implanted defibrillator unit. If capture is determined, delivery of a shock is aborted, and the patient may be further treated with pacing therapy. If capture is not found, this indicates that the arrhythmia remains, even though not sensed during the confirmation duration, and shock therapy is applied directly.

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Cadier En Keer, Netherlands

Berthold Kramm