113 results about "Heart electrical activity" patented technology

A system for mapping electrical activity of a patient's heart includes a set of electrodes spaced from the heart wall and a set of electrodes in contact with the heart wall. Voltage measurements from the electrodes are used to generate three-dimensional and two-dimensional maps of the electrical activity of the heart.

This disclosure describes an implantable medical electrical lead and an ICD system utilizing the lead. The lead includes a lead body defining a proximal end and a distal portion, wherein at least a part of the distal portion of the lead body defines an undulating configuration. The lead includes a defibrillation electrode that includes a plurality of defibrillation electrode segments disposed along the undulating configuration spaced apart from one another by a distance. The lead also includes at least one electrode disposed between adjacent sections of the plurality of defibrillation sections. The at least one electrode is configured to deliver a pacing pulse to the heart and/or sense cardiac electrical activity of the heart.

The invention relates to the analysis of ECG data by exploiting computerized three-dimensional spatial presentation of the measured data using the vector concept. A three-dimensional presentation of the human heart may be correlated with waveforms specific for standard ECG or derived ECG signals based on the dipole approximation of the heart electrical activity. The three-dimensional heart model may be rotated, and the ECG signals are interactively linked to the model. In the visualization process, different types of signal presentation may be used, including graphical presentation of the heart vector hodograph, graphical presentation of the signal waveform in an arbitrary chosen point on the heart, and graphical presentation of the map of equipotential lines on the heart in a chosen moment. Additional tools for analyzing ECG data are also provided which may be interactively used with the display tools.

A system for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection processes a heart electrical activity signal in determining multiple first signal characteristic values over multiple heart cycles. A first signal characteristic value substantially comprises a time interval between a peak of a P wave to a peak of a succeeding R wave representing a repolarization time interval in an individual heart cycle and the signal processor uses a peak detector and time detector for identifying the peaks and detecting a time difference between the identified peaks. A comparator compares at least one of the multiple first signal characteristic values or a value derived from the multiple first signal characteristic values with a threshold value to provide a comparison indicator. A patient monitor in response to the comparison indicator indicating a calculated signal characteristic value exceeds the threshold value, generates an alert message associated with the threshold.

Devices and methods can be used for artificial cardiac pacing and/or resynchronization. For example, this document provides improved electrodes for stimulating and sensing electrical activity of the heart, and provides pacing and resynchronization systems incorporating such electrodes. While the devices and methods provided herein are described primarily in the context of pacing, it should be understood that resynchronization can additionally or alternatively be performed in an analogous manner, and that the scope of this disclosure includes such subject matter.

An intravascular implantable medical device includes a detachable tether arrangement. In one embodiment, the detachable tether arrangement comprises a tip assembly that includes a break-away joint and a tether portion, and may also include a connector and an extension portion connected to an end of an elongated intravascular implantable medical device. In this embodiment, the break-away joint is disposed between the extension portion and the tether portion. In some embodiments, the extension portion may comprise a housing or other arrangement that includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving data. In other embodiments, the extension portion may also include a lead for defibrillation, pacing, and/or sensing cardiac electrical activity. In certain embodiments, the tether arrangement is designed to be secured within a patient's vasculature with a vascular anchor either in the form of a separate anchor, such as a conventional stent, or by various integrated retention arrangements.

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for obtaining at least one bodily function measurement are presented. A mobile device includes an outer body sized to be portable for user, a processor contained within the outer body, and a plurality of sensors physically coupled to the outer body. The sensors are configured to obtain a first measurement indicative of blood volume and a second measurement indicative of heart electrical activity in response to a user action. A blood pressure measurement is determined based on the first measurement and the second measurement. The sensors also include electrodes where a portion of a user's body positioned between the electrodes completes a circuit and a measurement to provide at least one measure of impedance associated with the user's body. A hydration level measurement is determined based on the measure of impedance.

The cardiac rhythm management system includes an implantable medical device (IMD) with leads carrying electrodes for sensing cardiac electrical activity, and a physiologic sensor for sensing cardiac mechanical activity. The IMD measures electromechanical delays between electrical activity sensed by the electrodes and mechanical activity sensed by the physiologic sensor. The measured electromechanical delays can be used to detect lead dislodgement and to assess dyssynchrony between two areas of the heart, such as the right ventricle and the left ventricle.

A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's cardiac electrical activity is disclosed. The method includes determining a characteristic of the cardiac signals during a detected episode of atrial fibrillation. The method further includes comparing the characteristic to an atrial fibrillation therapy threshold and if the characteristic is less than or equal to the atrial fibrillation therapy threshold further comparing the characteristic to a self-termination threshold. If the characteristic is less than the self-termination threshold the method withholds anti-tachycardia therapy to allow the arrhythmia to self-terminate.

A device measuring an electrical activity of a heart and being wearable on a body part of a user. The device comprises a strap configurable to be fitted over the body part, and having an interior surface contacting the body part when worn by the user, and an exterior surface facing away from the body part. The device also includes a first sensor that is disposed on the interior surface. The first sensor is configurable to be in contact with the body part. The device also includes a clasp having a second sensor that is electrically insulated from the first sensor. The first sensor and the second sensor receive data indicative of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal of the user when the clasp holding the strap over the body part contacts a different body part of the user.

A computer software program is described that maps the electrical activity of a patient's heart. The software program utilizes inputs from electrodes contained within a heart chamber. Inputs from the electrodes cause the program to calculate the heart chamber volume, and then to determine the position of the electrodes within the heart chamber. The program then utilizes inputs from the electrodes to calculate the three-dimensional volumetric electrical field distribution of said heart chamber. This calculation is accomplished using a spherical harmonic series expression. Finally, the computer program displays the electrical field distribution of the heart chamber.

A method and system of electroanatomical mapping comprises bringing a patient's image such as a fluoroscopic image and intracardiac signals into a computer based mapping system. Electroanatomical mapping or superimposing of cardiac electrical activity on fluoroscopic image is provided by placing visual indicators on electrode pairs of various catheters including standard catheters and ablation catheter. Visual indicators are coupled or linked to underlying electric signals from those electrode pairs via software coding, whereby electrical activity sequence of the heart is provided and updated in real-time on fluoroscopic image. A combination of fluoroscopic image and CT or MRI may also be used. The mapping system further comprises various algorithms for aiding in cardiac mapping and ablation of cardiac arrhythmias.

A method and system of electroanatomical mapping comprises bringing a patient's image such as a fluoroscopic image and intracardiac signals into a computer based mapping system. Electroanatomical mapping or superimposing of cardiac electrical activity on fluoroscopic image is provided by placing visual indicators on electrode pairs of various catheters including standard catheters and ablation catheter. Visual indicators are coupled or linked to underlying electric signals from those electrode pairs via software coding, whereby electrical activity sequence of the heart is provided and updated in real-time on fluoroscopic image. A combination of fluoroscopic image and CT or MRI may also be used. The mapping system further comprises various algorithms for aiding in cardiac mapping and ablation of cardiac arrhythmias.

A system and method for co-registering body surface cardiac electrogram information to internal information is described. One embodiment comprises a rigid plate configured to be placed on a patient that includes imaging fiducials arranged in a unique orientation with respect to each other; a position sensor configured to provide position information of the rigid plate; multiple body surface electrodes coupled to the rigid plate for measuring cardiac electrical activity of the patient; and a control unit configured to receive an image scan of the patient, receive the cardiac electrical activity information from the body surface electrodes, receive position information of the rigid plate, and transform the cardiac electrical activity information from its coordinate system into the coordinate system of the position information of the rigid plate.

Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for monitoring a patient's pre-ejection interval (PEI). A signal indicative of cardiac electrical activity and a signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume are obtained. One or more predetermined features of the signal indicative of cardiac electrical activity and the signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume are detected. The patient's PEI is determined by determining an interval between the predetermined feature of the signal indicative of cardiac electrical activity and the predetermined feature of the signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume.

Magnetocardiogram (MCG) provides temporal and spatial measurements of cardiac electric activities, which permits current localization. An MCG device usually consists of a small number of magnetic sensors in a planar array. Each sensor provides a highly low-resolution 2D MCG map. Such a low-res map is insufficient for cardiac electric current localization. To create a high resolution MCG image from the sparse measurements, an algorithm based on model learning is used. The model is constructed using a large number of randomly generated high resolution MCG images based on the Biot-Savart Law. By fitting the model with the sparse measurements, high resolution MCG image are created. Next, the 2D position of the electric current is localized by finding the peak in the tangential components of the high resolution MCG images. Finally, the 2D current localization is refined by a non-linear optimization algorithm, which simultaneously recovers the depth of the electric current from the sensor and its magnitude and orientation.