The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 22, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1995
Eric S Fain, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Benjamin D Pless, Atherton, CA (US);
Ventritex, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for inducing fibrillation in a patient's heart by delivering a direct current stimulus to the heart from a DC-to-DC converter. The hardware of a conventional implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) is utilized with a modification to the control algorithms. Particularly, when it is desired to induce fibrillation in a patient's heart, typically during ICD implant defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing, a command is delivered from an external instrument to the ICD to deliver the fibrillation shock. The DC-to-DC converter which is normally used to charge the ICD high voltage capacitors is activated and immediately thereafter or following a short period to allow the high voltage capacitors to charge, the high voltage output switches of the output stage are closed. This delivers the output current from the DC-to-DC converter to the defibrillation electrodes and through the patient's heart. This stimulus is continued for a predetermined time of between about 30 milliseconds to 5 seconds. At that point the output switches are opened and the converter is shut off. This DC stimulus delivered directly to the patient's heart induces fibrillation.