US4969462A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Pacemaker with improved automatic output regulation
Assignee: Pacesetter Inc
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Filing: 1989-08-07
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Granted: 1990-11-13
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Expires: 2009-08-07
Abstract
Abstract A pacemaker which is provided with an improved automatic regulation circuit which is capable of distinguishing between a fusion beat and loss of capture. The failure to sense an evoked potential following a stimulus may be due to either. The cause is determined by generating a high-energy back-up pulse shortly after the stimulus. Failure to capture by the back-up pulse is an indication that there was just a fusion beat; the sensing of an evoked potential is an indication that the stimulus failed to capture.
Inventors
- 👤 Francis J. Callaghan
- 👤 William Vollmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 23:41
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/37; A61N1/3706; A61N1/365; A61N1/36507; A61N1/371; A61N1/3712
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses; means for sensing an evoked potential in response to the generation of a pacing pulse; and means responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse for increasing the pacing rate so that if said failure was due to a fusion beat, then the next pacing pulse is more likely to result in a heart capture.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A pacemaker comprising means for generating pacing pulses; means for sensing an evoked potential in response to the generation of a pacing pulse; and means responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse for increasing the pacing rate so that if said failure was due to a fusion beat, then the next pacing pulse is more likely to result in a heart capture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rate increasing means operates in both of two successive heart cycles responsive to two successive failures to sense evoked potentials.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 2 further including means for controlling the generation of a back-up pacing pulse responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 3 further including means responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pacing pulse for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a fusion beat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 4 wherein said determining means is further operative, responsive to the sensing of an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pulse, for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a heart capture failure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sensing means senses an evoked potential by integrating the evoked potential and verifying that the integral represents heart capture.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 6 further including means for controlling the generation of a back-up pacing pulse responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 7 further including means responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pacing pulse for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a fusion beat.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 8 wherein said determining means is further operative, responsive to the sensing of an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pulse, for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a heart capture failure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 1 further including means for controlling the generation of a back-up pacing pulse responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 10 further including means responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pacing pulse for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a fusion beat.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
A pacemaker in accordance with claim 11 wherein said determining means is further operative, responsive to the sensing of an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pulse, for determining that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a heart capture failure.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses; sensing an evoked potential in response to the generation of a pacing pulse; and responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse, increasing the pacing rate so that if said failure was due to a fusion beat, then the next pacing pulse is more likely to result in a heart capture.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of operating a pacemaker comprising the steps of generating pacing pulses; sensing an evoked potential in response to the generation of a pacing pulse; and responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following the generation of a pacing pulse, increasing the pacing rate so that if said failure was due to a fusion beat, then the next pacing pulse is more likely to result in a heart capture.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of operating a pacemaker in accordance with claim 13 wherein said rate is increased in both of two successive heart cycles responsive to two successive failures to sense evoked potentials.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of operating a pacemaker in accordance with claim 13 further including the step of controlling the generation of a back-up pacing pulse responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of operating a pacemaker in accordance with claim 15 wherein, responsive to the failure to sense an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pacing pulse, it is determined that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a fusion beat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of operating a pacemaker in accordance with claim 16 wherein, responsive to the sensing of an evoked potential following generation of a back-up pulse, it is determined that the preceding pacing pulse resulted in a heart capture failure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method of operating a pacemaker in accordance with claim 13 wherein an evoked potential is sensed by integrating the evoked potential and verifying that the integral represents heart capture.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-11-12 | 1994-05-14 | 1994-11-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-11-12 | 1998-05-14 | 1998-11-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-11-12 | 2002-05-14 | 2002-11-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |