EP0739645A2

System and method for determining indicated pacemaker replacement time based upon battery impedance measurement

Abstract

A programmable pacing system and method, the system having the capability for providing an indication of recommended replacement time (RRT) as well as a prior warning of six months to RRT. RRT is determined by storing a value in the pacemaker corresponding to battery impedance at RRT, continuously periodically measuring battery impedance, and comparing the measured value with the stored RRT value. Whenever the pacemaker is reprogrammed to different operating conditions which affect RRT, or there is a significant change in load lead resistance, a new value of RRT impedance is calculated based upon a selected formula corresponding to the reprogrammed set of operating conditions, and stored in the pacemaker. At the same time, an Aging value of impedance is re-calculated to provide a six month warning before RRT, and likewise stored in the pacemaker.

EP0739645A2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 11

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 22 March 2016, 10.5 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Projected expiry
  5. Today

15 claims: 2 independent, 13 dependent

  1. 1
    A programmable pacing system, said system comprising an implantable pacemaker (30) having a battery (45) which provides energy to said pacemaker, said battery having at least one parameter which changes with cumulative expenditure of energy to said pacemaker, a controllable pulse generator (36) for generating and delivering pace pulses, programming means (31) for programming said pacemaker to operate under a programmed set of operating conditions, said system characterized by measuring means (38, 50 51;64) for obtaining a measure of the actual value of said battery parameter;means for storing a reference measure of said battery parameter which is representative of a cumulative battery expenditure which correlates to desired pacemaker replacement (61, 82);means (80) for adapting said reference measure when said operating conditions are changed by said programming means, said adapting being a function of said changed conditions, and for storing said adapted measure;and comparison means (70) for automatically comparing said actual measure with said reference measure and providing a replacement time indication (72) as a function of said comparison.
  2. 12
    A programmable pacing system, said system comprising an implantable pacemaker (30) having a battery (45) which provides energy to said pacemaker, said battery having at least one parameter which changes with cumulative expenditure of energy to said pacemaker, a controllable pulse generator (36) for generating and delivering pace pulses, a lead (32) for transmitting said generated pace pulses to a patient's heart, and operating means (38, 39, 40) for controlling said pacemaker to operate under a selected one of a first plurality of predetermined sets of operating conditions, said system being characterized by:measuring means (38, 50, 51;64) for continually obtaining a first representation of the actual value of said battery parameter;storing means (61, 82) for storing a reference measure of said battery parameter which has been calculated to represent the value of said battery parameter at which pacemaker replacement is desired so long as said pacemaker continually operates at the same operating conditions;means for defining a second plurality of sets of operating conditions (78), said second plurality being selected from said first plurality;means for recalculating (80) said reference measure whenever said pacemaker changes operating conditions to one of said defined sets, and for storing (82) said recalculated measure in said storing means;and comparison means (70) for continually comparing said actual measure with said reference measure and providing a replacement time indication (72) as a function of said comparison.