Cardiac pacemaker system for usage in combination with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

摘要

A cardiac pacing system comprising one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured to perform cardiac pacing functions in combination with a co-implanted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and bidirectionally communicating with the co-implanted ICD.

主权项

1. A method of operating a cardiac pacing system comprising:
performing cardiac pacing functions in at least one pacemaker in combination with a co-implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) comprising: delivering cardiac pacing pulses; sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals; bidirectionally communicating among the co-implanted ICD and/or at least one pacemaker of a plurality of pacemakers; communicating a code that signifies occurrence of sensed cardiac electrical signals and/or delivered pacing pulses, identifying an event type and/or location; waiting in an atrial pacemaker for an earliest occurring event of a plurality of events comprising a sensed atrial heartbeat, a communication of a signal marking a heartbeat at a ventricular pacemaker, or timeout of an escape interval; responding to the sensed atrial heartbeat by generating an atrial pacing pulse signaling to at least one pacemaker of the pacemaker plurality and optionally to the co-implanted ICD that an atrial heartbeat has occurred and that encodes the atrial pacing pulse with a code signifying an atrial location and a sensed event type; timing a predetermined atrial-to-atrial escape interval beginning at delivery of an atrial pacing pulse; responding to timeout of an escape interval by delivering an atrial pacing pulse, causing an atrial heartbeat; and encoding the atrial pacing pulse with paced type and atrial location of an atrial heartbeat event.