초록 ▼

Techniques for pacing the heart of a patient as a function of a pressure value make use of a pressure monitor that receives a signal from a pressure sensor in the heart. The pressure monitor measures a pressure value. The pressure monitor may, for example, estimate the pulmonary artery diastolic pre

Techniques for pacing the heart of a patient as a function of a pressure value make use of a pressure monitor that receives a signal from a pressure sensor in the heart. The pressure monitor measures a pressure value. The pressure monitor may, for example, estimate the pulmonary artery diastolic pressure if the pressure sensor is located in the right ventricle, or calculate the mean central venous pressure if pressure sensor is located in the right atrium. The energy level of the pacing pulses delivered to the patient's heart by a pacemaker is modulated as a function of the pressure value. Modulating the energy level of the pacing pulses modulates the cardiac output of the patient's heart.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An implantable medical device, comprising: a pressure sensor that generates a pressure signal as a function of a pressure in a heart, said pressure developed solely as a result of application of supra-threshold cardiac pacing therapy delivery delivered when the heart ti

The invention claimed is: 1. An implantable medical device, comprising: a pressure sensor that generates a pressure signal as a function of a pressure in a heart, said pressure developed solely as a result of application of supra-threshold cardiac pacing therapy delivery delivered when the heart tissue is non-refractory; a pressure monitor that identifies a pressure value at a point of maximum slope in the pressure signal; means for identifying a need for increased cardiac output (CO) for a patient and providing an increase-CO signal related thereto; and a processor coupled to the means for identifying and adapted to increase the energy level of the supra-threshold pacing therapy delivered to the heart in a substantially non-linear manner in response to receipt of the increase-CO signal and as a function of the pressure value. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a control signal as a function of the pressure value, wherein the pacemaker is configured to receive the control signal and adjust the energy level of pacing pulses of the supra-threshold pacing therapy as a function of the control signal. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the amplitude of the pacing pulse delivered by the pacemaker is a function of the pressure value. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the pulse amplitude is within a range from approximately 0.5 volts to approximately 5.0 volts. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the pulse width of the pacing pulse delivered by the pacemaker is a function of the pressure value. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the pulse width is within a range from approximately 0.05 ms to approximately 1.5 ms. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor includes one of a capacitive absolute pressure sensor, a piezoelectric crystal transducer and a piezoresistive pressure transducer. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure monitor comprises a differentiating circuit, the differentiating circuit configured to generate a differential signal that is representative of a second derivative of the pressure signal, wherein the pressure monitor identifies the pressure value corresponding to a zero crossing point on the differential signal. 9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input/output device coupled to the processor, the input/output device configured to exchange information between a person and the processor. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to be implanted in the upper chest of a patient.