METHOD AND APPARATUS UTILIZING SHORT TAU CAPACITORS

摘要

This invention is an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for treating cardiac dysrhythmias utilizing an interrupted discharge output provided by a switch control means (206) to vary the duty cycle of a switch (208) incorporated within the output circuitry of the implanted cardioverter defibrillator so as to increase the efficiency by extending the duration of the discharge for capacitor systems having time constants tau, less than about the chronaxie value of the human heart. As a result the implantable cardioverter defibrillator produces a more favorable rectangular-like waveform from the discharge of a significantly smaller capacitor than the capacitors used in existing implantable cardioverter defibrillators.