Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.

Theodore J Schulte

Roger W Dahl

Douglas J Lang

Stanley M Bach, Jr

Bruce Alan Tockman

Yanting Dong

Shibaji Shome

Abhilash Patangay

Jason Alan Shiroff

J Edward Shapland

Peter Tachi Callas

Peter T Kelley

John S Greenland

Gary Hague

David B Yingling

Edward Shapland

A device and method for accessing a pericardial space of the heart includes a shaft having a cavity at a distal end, a suction lumen terminating in a distal port within the cavity and a hollow needle having a distal tip extending into the cavity. The cavity may be a recess in the shaft into which the distal tip of the needle fixedly protrudes. In other embodiments, the cavity is formed by an inflatable member positioned at the distal end of the shaft and the needle is slidable relative to the shaft. Suction is applied at the cavity to draw a pericardial bleb. The needle pierces the pericardial bleb for accessing the pericardial space and also facilitates delivery of payloads into the pericardial space.

Method and system for accessing a pericardial space

In an example, a cardiac rhythm management system includes an implantable physiological data monitor, a processor, a memory, and a display. The implantable physiological data monitor can be configured to monitor a plurality of cardiac responses. The processor can be configured to classify the cardiac response into one of at least three classes including pace-dominant, fusion, and pseudo-fusion. The processor can also be configured to calculate statistical information regarding the classified cardiac responses. In this example, the pace-dominant, fusion, and pseudo-fusion classes correspond to a cardiac response resulting from a corresponding electrostimulation. The memory is configured to store the classified cardiac responses and calculated statistical information for future use by the processor or for display. The display is configured to display the statistical information stored in the memory for diagnostic and device programming purposes.

Systems and methods for the generation and display of fusion statistics

A unitary intravascular defibrillating catheter includes distal and proximal spring electrodes, displaced to such distance from one another that defibrillating shock is effected through a field including the interventricular septum and left ventricular free wall. In one embodiment of this catheter, the proximal electrode is placed in the region of the subclavian vein. Alternatively, it may be placed in the region of the third through seventh intercostal space. A unitary catheter is also described which includes an intermediate electrode, placed between distal and proximal electrodes. Selection of placement of electrodes either in the superior vena cava or in the region of the subclavian vein is medically indicated by physiological conditions of the individual patient. The cardioversion system further includes a unipolar or bipolar sensing circuit with at least one sensing electrode, and a cardioversion/defibrillation circuit with either two or three spaced apart spring electrodes. The sensing electrodes are spaced apart from one another, but they are kept sufficiently close to one another for isolated, localized R-wave sensing. The sensing electrodes further are positioned remotely of the cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes, to avoid post-shock abnormalities which otherwise would interfere with a timely R-wave sensing, and to substantially prevent the discharge of an unnecessary cardioversion pulse after return of the heart to normal cardiac rhythm.

Unitary intravascular defibrillating catheter with bipolar sensing

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Theodore J Schulte