Computer implemented methods and systems are provided for automatically determining capture thresholds for an implantable medical device equipped for cardiac stimulus pacing using a multi-pole left ventricular (LV) lead. The methods and systems measures a base capture threshold for a base pacing vector utilizing stimulation pulses varied over at least a portion of an outer test range. The base pacing vector is defined by a first LV electrode provided on the LV lead and a second electrode located remote from an LV chamber. The methods and systems designate a secondary pacing vector that includes the first LV electrode and a neighbor LV electrode provided on the LV lead. The methods and systems further define an inner test range having secondary limits based on the base capture threshold, wherein at least one of the limits for the inner test range differs from a corresponding limit for the outer test range. The methods and systems measure a secondary capture threshold associated with the secondary pacing vector utilizing stimulation pulses varied over at least a portion of the inner test range.

Apparatus and methods for the management and safety monitoring of temporary cardiac pacing devices adapted to monitor a cardiac pacing device, the apparatus comprising; electrical connections with the heart and with the pacing device; a signal acquisition module adapted to acquire via the electrical connections cardiac signals indicative of cardiac operation, pacing impulses emitted by the pacing device, evoked signals emitted from the heart in response to the pacing impulses, and any unidentified noise signals; a processor adapted to receive from the signal acquisition module and to analyse the cardiac and evoked signals, the pacing impulses and any noise signals; a data store, and a display, wherein the processor is adapted to: i. establish a base level operation of the heart and pacing device and to store the associated quality, size and/or timing values of the cardiac and evoked signals and the pacing impulses in the date store; ii, receive instantaneous values of quality, size and/or timing values of the cardiac and evoked signals and the pacing impulses and to cause the display to show these values; iii. compare the instantaneous values against the values in the data store to establish differences therebetween; iv. analyse; a, any noise signal received, b. the instantaneous values received at step ii above, and c. any difference(s) at step iii above in terms of its/their quality, size and timing, and v, raise an alarm in the event a noise signal occurs and/or no evoked signal is received,

A medical device is configured to sense a cardiac electrical signal and determine from the cardiac electrical signal at least one of a maximum peak amplitude of a positive slope of the cardiac electrical signal and a maximum peak time interval from a pacing pulse to the maximum peak amplitude. The device is configured to determine a capture type of the pacing pulse based on at least one or both of the maximum peak amplitude and the maximum peak time interval.

An implantable device for implantation in a human body or animal body. The device includes an energy source, an energy storage device, and an electronics unit. Further, an actuator is coupled with the energy storage device and it is configured to emit electromagnetic waves by discharging the energy storage device.

An implantable system stimulates a human or animal heart. The system contains a processor, a memory unit, an atrial stimulation unit, a ventricular stimulation unit, and a detection unit for detecting atrial tachycardia. The memory unit stores a computer-readable program that prompts the processor to: a) detect by the detection unit whether atrial tachycardia to be treated is present in the heart; b) when atrial tachycardia to be treated is present, carrying out a ventricular conditioning stimulation by way of the ventricular stimulation unit; and c) applying atrial antitachycardia pacing in the form of a stimulation pulse sequence of 2 to 20 pulses or a high-frequency burst having a frequency of up to 50 Hz and a duration of up to 60 seconds by way of the atrial stimulation unit as the ventricular conditioning stimulation is being carried out and/or thereafter.

Some method examples may include pacing a heart with cardiac paces, sensing a physiological signal for use in detecting pace-induced phrenic nerve stimulation, performing a baseline level determination process to identify a baseline level for the sensed physiological signal, and detecting pace-induced phrenic nerve stimulation using the sensed physiological signal and the calculated baseline level. Detecting pace-induced phrenic nerve stimulation may include sampling the sensed physiological signal during each of a plurality of cardiac cycles to provide sampled signals and calculating the baseline level for the physiological signal using the sampled signals. Sampling the sensed physiological signal may include sampling the signal during a time window defined using a pace time with each of the cardiac cycles to avoid cardiac components and phrenic nerve stimulation components in the sampled signal.

The present invention relates to a system of multiple implantable medical devices for an impedance measurement comprising a first implantable medical device, at least a second implantable medical device distinct from the first implantable medical device and; an analysis module comprising at least one amplifier and one envelope detector, one of the first implantable medical device or the second implantable medical device being a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator or a subcutaneous loop recorder, and the other of the first implantable medical device or the second implantable medical device being an implantable endocardial device.

In at least one example, a medical device is provided. The medical device includes at least one therapy electrode, at least one acoustic sensor, and at least one processor coupled with the at least one therapy electrode and the at least one acoustic sensor. The at least one processor is configured to deliver at least one pacing pulse via the at least one therapy electrode and to analyze processed acoustic data to determine whether the at least one pacing pulse resulted in capture.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) receives a cardiac electrical signal by a sensing circuit while operating in a sensing without pacing mode and detects asystole based on the cardiac electrical signal. The ICD determines, in response to detecting the asystole, if asystole backup pacing is enabled, and automatically switches to a temporary pacing mode in response to the asystole backup pacing being enabled. Other examples of detecting asystole and providing a response to detecting asystole by the ICD are described herein.

An implantable system for stimulating a human heart or an animal heart, comprising a first stimulation unit and a first detection unit, wherein the first stimulation unit is used to stimulate at least one cardiac region of a human or an animal heart, and wherein the first detection unit is used to detect an electrical signal of at least one cardiac region of the same human or animal heart. The system comprises a first timer, which is used to provide a defined delivery of stimulation pulses, in terms of time, by the first stimulation unit. The system comprises a second timer, which is provided and configured to match a delivery point in time of at least one pulse to be delivered by the second stimulation unit to a delivery point in time of at least one pulse to be delivered by the first stimulation unit.