Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc.

Steven M Weiss

Geoffrey A Drane

An implantable medical device and method for providing therapy to a patient's inadequately functioning heart are disclosed. The device and method utilize a defibrillation electrode lead system to deliver defibrillation therapy to the patient's heart, and a defibrillator to provide the defibrillation therapy that is delivered by the defibrillation electrode lead system. The defibrillator includes a charge storing circuit for storing an electrical charge therein. Controls are employed for charging the charge storing circuit to an appropriately high energy level for use in defibrillation therapy, in response to a detected tachycardia condition, and for charging the charge storing circuit to an appropriately low energy level for selectively inducing an arrhythmia in the patient's heart. Switching circuitry is utilized to couple the charge storing circuit to the defibrillation electrode lead system; and, controls are provided for selectively actuating the switching circuitry to generate a plurality of micro-shocks from the low energy electrical charge in the charge storing circuit and to deliver the micro-shocks to the defibrillation electrode lead system.

Apparatus and method for arrhythmia induction in arrhythmia control

An implantable device and method for providing anti-arrhythmia therapy to, and including arrhythmia in, a patient's inadequately functioning heart are disclosed. A pacemaker, defibrillator and microprocessor are utilized in conjuction with an electrode lead system adapted to be connected to the heart for providing the therapy and for inducing arrhythmia. Circuitry is employed in the pacemaker and defibrillator to generate respective trains of spaced pulses for delivery to corresponding portions of the electrode lead system, and a smoothing filter is provided in series with the trains of pulses to smooth each of the trains of pulses into discrete single pulse having a continuous waveform. The spacing, durations and polarities of the pulses in the trains are selectively variable so that the waveforms of the discrete single pulses can be selectively varied to provide diferent waveforms therein, in accordance with the needs of the patient and the programming of the device.

Apparatus and method for generation of varying waveforms in arrhythmia

An implantable device for the treatment of malfunctions of a patient's heart is disclosed. The device employs defibrillation patch electrodes positioned on the outer surface of the heart generally outwardly of the left and right ventricles of the heart, in conjunction with a non-polarizing sub-threshold constant current or constant voltage signal and appropriate electronic signal sensing and processing circuitry, to determine changes in variations of the transcardiac impedance of a patient's heart, such changes being representative of corresponding changes in the level of haemodynamic compromise of the heart. Bradycardia support pacing therapy, antitachycardia pacing therapy, cardioversion therapy and defibrillation therapy, or no therapy, are selectively initiated by the device, depending on the level of haemodynamic compromise determined to be extent by the device. Conventional electrical function sensing may be employed in conjunction with the sensed changes in variations of the transcardiac impedance to control the device. Corresponding methods of treating malfunctions of a patient's heart are also disclosed.

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West Pymble, Australia

Steven M Weiss