Patent EP0095726A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0095726A1
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Apparatus for controlling cardiac ventricular tachyarrhythmias
Assignee: Medtronic Inc
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Filing: 1983-05-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-05-26
Abstract
Abstract ardiac ventricular fibrillation and other tachyarrhythmias are controlled by delivery of two current pulses to separate pairs of electrodes orthogonally placed around the heart, preferably in the epicardial-pericardial space. The technique produces a temporal and spatial summation of the delivered current, which results in a dramatic reduction in the voltage, current, and energy required for defibrillation, or cardioversion, and allows the use of a smaller implantable pulse generator. The new system achieves a more uniform distribution of current within the ventricular myocardium, thereby reducing the risk of tissue damage and increasing the margin of safety between effective shocks and myocardial depressing or damaging shocks.
Inventors
- 👤 Willis A. Tacker, Jr.
- 👤 Charles Fredrick Babbs
- 👤 Joe Dan Bourland
- 👤 Leslie Alexander Geddes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:48
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/38; A61N1/39; A61N1/3918; A61N1/02; A61N1/04; A61N1/05; A61N1/0587; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/313; A61B1/3132
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
50 words
In a method for controlling cardiac ventricular fibrillation or other tachyarrhythmias by passing an electric current through the heart, the improvement which comprises disposing a plurality of electrode pairs around the heart and sequentially pulsing each of said pairs at a voltage providing a current above the defibrillation threshold level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a method for controlling cardiac ventricular fibrillation or other tachyarrhythmias by passing an electric current through the heart, the improvement which comprises disposing a plurality of electrode pairs around the heart and sequentially pulsing each of said pairs at a voltage providing a current above the defibrillation threshold level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said pulses are separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said pulses are separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of said pulses has a duration of about 1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises implanting one pair of electrodes laterally and another pair of electrodes ventrally-dorsally in the epicardial-pericardial space and subjecting each of said pairs of electrodes in sequence to an electrical pulse at a voltage between about 200 and about 400 volts for a time between about 1 and about 5 milliseconds, the pulses being separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises implanting one pair of electrodes laterally and another pair of electrodes ventrally-dorsally in the epicardial-pericardial space and subjecting each of said pairs of electrodes in sequence to an electrical pulse at a voltage between about 200 and about 400 volts for a time between about 1 and about 5 milliseconds, the pulses being separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises implanting one electrode adjacent the right ventricle and a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes adjacent to the left ventricle, and sequentially pairing and pulsing the right ventricular electrode with the left ventricular electrodes at a voltage providing a current density above the defibrillation threshold level, the pulses being separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises implanting one electrode adjacent the right ventricle and a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes adjacent to the left ventricle, and sequentially pairing and pulsing the right ventricular electrode with the left ventricular electrodes at a voltage providing a current density above the defibrillation threshold level, the pulses being separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
In an apparatus for controlling cardiac ventricular fibrillation or other tachyarrhythmias by passing an electric current through the heart, the improvement which comprises a plurality of electrode pairs (10, 11; 21, 22) disposable around the heart and means (28) for sequentially pulsing each of said pairs (10, 11; 21, 22) at a voltage providing a current above the defibrillation threshold level.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
In an apparatus for controlling cardiac ventricular fibrillation or other tachyarrhythmias by passing an electric current through the heart, the improvement which comprises a plurality of electrode pairs (10, 11; 21, 22) disposable around the heart and means (28) for sequentially pulsing each of said pairs (10, 11; 21, 22) at a voltage providing a current above the defibrillation threshold level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pulses are separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pulses are separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said pulses has a duration of about 1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
85 words
An apparatus for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises one pair (10, 11) of electrodes implantable laterally in the epicardial-pericardial space, another pair (21, 22) of electrodes implantable ventrally-dorsally in the epicardial-pericardial space, and means (28) for sequentially pulsing each of said pairs of electrodes to an electrical pulse at a voltage between about 200 and about 400 volts for a time between about 1 and about 5 milliseconds, the pulses being separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
85 words
An apparatus for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises one pair (10, 11) of electrodes implantable laterally in the epicardial-pericardial space, another pair (21, 22) of electrodes implantable ventrally-dorsally in the epicardial-pericardial space, and means (28) for sequentially pulsing each of said pairs of electrodes to an electrical pulse at a voltage between about 200 and about 400 volts for a time between about 1 and about 5 milliseconds, the pulses being separated by an interval of about 0.1 millisecond to about 2 milliseconds.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises one electrode (10) implantable adjacent to the right ventricle, a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes (31, 32, 33) implantable adjacent to the left ventricle, and means (28), for sequentially pairing and pulsing the right ventricular electrode (10) with the left ventricular electrodes (31, 32, 33) at a voltage providing a current density above the defibrillation threshold level, the pulses being separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for controlling ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia which comprises one electrode (10) implantable adjacent to the right ventricle, a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes (31, 32, 33) implantable adjacent to the left ventricle, and means (28), for sequentially pairing and pulsing the right ventricular electrode (10) with the left ventricular electrodes (31, 32, 33) at a voltage providing a current density above the defibrillation threshold level, the pulses being separated by an interval of at least about 0.1 millisecond.
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