Arrhythmia prevention apparatus

Claim 2

Cardiac electrical stimulation apparatus comprising: first means for sensing depolarization at any one of a plurality of areas on a heart; second means for providing cardiac stimulation signals to a plurality of areas on the heart in rapid response to any sensed depolarization by the first means; and means connecting the first means to the second means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which: the first means includes multivibrator means having a predetermined refractory period; and the second means includes means for limiting stimulation pulses to a duration shorter than said refractory period and occurring during said refractory period.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 in which the multivibrator means include means for setting said refractory period at a time value which allows synchronization of the stimulation signals with cardiac QRS signals.

Claim 5

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; means for responding rapidly to a signal from any one of the electrode means to provide cardiac stimulation signals to all the electrode means; and means connecting the electrode means to the means for responding.

Claim 6

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; means for responding rapidly to a signal from any one of the electrode means to provide cardiac stimulation signals to all the electrode means; and means connecting the electrode means to the means for responding.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 in which: the means for responding includes means for synchronizing the stimulation signals to the cardiac QRS signals.

Claim 8

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensing electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on the heart; means for responding rapidly to a signal from any one of the sensing electrode means to provide stimulation signals on all of the stimulation electrodes; and means connecting the means for responding to the sensing electrodes and the stimulation electrodes.

Claim 9

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensing electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on the heart; means for responding rapidly to a signal from any one of the sensing electrode means to provide stimulation signals on all of the stimulation electrodes; and means connecting the means for responding to the sensing electrodes and the stimulation electrodes.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 in which: the means for responding includes means for synchronizing the stimulation signals to the cardiac QRS signals.

Claim 11

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; input means connected to the electrode means; output means connected to the electrode means; the input means including means for responding to signals from any of the electrode means to provide a signal; astable multivibrator means having a preset refractory period and an operation frequency which is variable in response to signals from the input means; means connecting the multivibrator means between the input means and the output means; and the output means including means for responding to the multivibrator means to provide heart stimulation signals to all the electrode means the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 12

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode means adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; input means connected to the electrode means; output means connected to the electrode means; the input means including means for responding to signals from any of the electrode means to provide a signal; astable multivibrator means having a preset refractory period and an operation frequency which is variable in response to signals from the input means; means connecting the multivibrator means between the input means and the output means; and the output means including means for responding to the multivibrator means to provide heart stimulation signals to all the electrode means the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 13

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensing electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; input means connected to the sensing electrode means; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on the heart; output means connected to the stimulation electrode means; the input means including means for responding to signals from any of the sensing electrode means to provide a signal; astable multivibrator means having a preset refractory period and an operation frequency variable in response to signals from the input means; means connecting the multivibrator means between the input means and the output means; means in the multivibrator means responsive to the input means signal to provide another signal; and the output means including means for responding to the multivibrator means signal to provide heart stimulation signals to all the stimulation electrode means, the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 14

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensing electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; input means connected to the sensing electrode means; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on the heart; output means connected to the stimulation electrode means; the input means including means for responding to signals from any of the sensing electrode means to provide a signal; astable multivibrator means having a preset refractory period and an operation frequency variable in response to signals from the input means; means connecting the multivibrator means between the input means and the output means; means in the multivibrator means responsive to the input means signal to provide another signal; and the output means including means for responding to the multivibrator means signal to provide heart stimulation signals to all the stimulation electrode means, the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 15

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; amplifier means connected to the electrodes; multivibrator means connected to the amplifier means and responsive to a signal from any one of the electrodes to provide an output signal; and output amplifier means connected to the multivibrator means and the electrodes, and responsive to an output signal to provide heart stimulation signals simultaneously to all the electrodes the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 16

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; amplifier means connected to the electrodes; multivibrator means connected to the amplifier means and responsive to a signal from any one of the electrodes to provide an output signal; and output amplifier means connected to the multivibrator means and the electrodes, and responsive to an output signal to provide heart stimulation signals simultaneously to all the electrodes the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10 in which: the multivibrator means has a refractory period longer than the duration of the stimulation signals.

Claim 18

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sense electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; amplifier means connected to the sense electrodes; multivibrator means connected to the amplifier means and responsive to a signal from any one of the sense electrodes to provide an output signal; and output amplifier means connected to the multivibrator means and the stimulation electrodes, and responsive to an output signal to provide stimulation signals simultaneously to all the stimulation electrodes the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 19

Fibrillation prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sense electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected in spaced relation on a heart; amplifier means connected to the sense electrodes; multivibrator means connected to the amplifier means and responsive to a signal from any one of the sense electrodes to provide an output signal; and output amplifier means connected to the multivibrator means and the stimulation electrodes, and responsive to an output signal to provide stimulation signals simultaneously to all the stimulation electrodes the heart stimulating signal occuring quickly after an input signal to said multivibrator means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 12 in which: the multivibrator means has a refractory period longer than the duration of the stimulation pulses.

Claim 21

Cardiac arrhythmia prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; an R-wave synchronous pulse generator having input means and output means; the generator input means and output means connected to the electrodes; and the generator including means for providing cardiac stimulation pulses to all the electrodes in rapid response to a signal from at least one of the electrodes.

Claim 22

Cardiac arrhythmia prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; an R-wave synchronous pulse generator having input means and output means; the generator input means and output means connected to the electrodes; and the generator including means for providing cardiac stimulation pulses to all the electrodes in rapid response to a signal from at least one of the electrodes.

Claim 23

Cardiac arrhythmia prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sense electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; an R-wave synchronous pulse generator having input means and output means; the generator input means connected to the sense electrodes and the generator output means connected to the stimulation electrodes; and the generator including means for providing cardiac stimulation pulses to all the stimulation electrodes in rapid response to a signal from at least one of the sense electrodes.

Claim 24

Cardiac arrhythmia prevention apparatus comprising: a plurality of sense electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; a plurality of stimulation electrodes adapted to be connected to a heart; an R-wave synchronous pulse generator having input means and output means; the generator input means connected to the sense electrodes and the generator output means connected to the stimulation electrodes; and the generator including means for providing cardiac stimulation pulses to all the stimulation electrodes in rapid response to a signal from at least one of the sense electrodes.