Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring chronic over-pacing (COP) to the heart are discussed herein. In an embodiment, a system includes a receiver circuit to receive information about pacing rates of a plurality of paced heart beats, and a pacing analyzer circuit to generate a pacing rate distribution using pacing rates of the plurality of the paced heart beats. The pacing rate distribution includes a pacing rate histogram. The pacing analyzer circuit may recognize a morphological pattern from the pacing rate distribution, and detect a COP indication using the extracted feature. A programmer circuit adjusts one or more therapy parameters in response to the detected. COP indication.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing cardiac arrhythmias are discussed. A data management system receives a first detection algorithm including a detection criterion for detecting a cardiac arrhythmia. An arrhythmia detector detects arrhythmia episodes from a physiologic signal using a second detection algorithm that is different from and has a higher sensitivity for detecting the cardiac arrhythmia than the first detection algorithm. The arrhythmia detector assigns a detection indicator to each of the detected arrhythmia episodes. The detection indicator indicates a likelihood that the detected arrhythmia episode satisfies the detection criterion of the first detection algorithm. The system prioritizes the detected arrhythmia episodes according to the assigned detection indicators, and outputs the arrhythmia episodes to a user or a process according to the episode prioritization.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing machine-generated alert notifications of medical events detected from one or more patients are described herein. An embodiment of a data management system may receive an adjudication of a medical event episode including an episode characterization. A storage unit stores an association between one or more episode characterizations and corresponding detection algorithms for detecting a medical event having respective episode characterizations. An episode management circuit may detect from a subsequent episode, using the stored association, a medical event having an episode characterization of at least one medical event episode presented for adjudication, and schedule presenting at least a portion of the subsequent episode based on the detection.

Abstract: A system includes a pulse generator including a can electrode and a lead couplable to the pulse generator, the lead including a distal coil electrode and a proximal coil electrode, wherein both of the coil electrodes are electrically uncoupled from the can electrode such that a unipolar sensing vector is provided between at least one of the coil electrodes and the can electrode.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for classifying clinical episodes in order to more accurately generate alerts for those episodes that warrant them. In some embodiments, alerts are only generated for those episodes that are new or different from previous episodes, where the previous episodes have been found to be not significant enough to warrant an alert.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting slow and persistent rhythms, such as indicative of ventricular response to atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT), are described herein. An arrhythmia detection system monitors patient ventricular heart rate, and identifies slow heart beats with corresponding heart rates falling below a rate threshold during a detection period. The system identifies one or more sustained slow beat (SSB) sequences each including two or more slow heart beats. The system determines a first prevalence indicator of the identified slow heart beats, and a second prevalence indicator of the identified SSB sequences during the detection period. An arrhythmia detector circuit detects a slow and persistent rhythm using the first and second prevalence indicators.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pacing cardiac conductive tissue are described. A medical system includes electrostimulation circuit that may generate His-bundle pacing (HBP) pulses for delivery at or near the His bundle. A capture verification circuit may detect, from a far-field signal representing ventricular response to the HBP pulses, a His-bundle response representative of excitation of the His bundle directly resulting from the HBP pulses, and a myocardial response representative of excitation of the myocardium directly resulting from the HBP pulses. A control circuit may adjust one or more stimulation parameters based on the His-bundle response and myocardial response. The electrostimulation circuit may generate and deliver the HBP pulses according to the adjusted stimulation parameters to excite the His bundle.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include systems and methods for reducing false positives in detection of pauses. For example, embodiments include a sensing component configured to obtain values of a first physiological parameter and determine a cardiac pause based on the values of the first physiological parameter. Furthermore, embodiments include performing a validation check of the determined cardiac pause using at least one of: the values of the first physiological parameter or values of a second physiological parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an arrhythmia detection circuit configured to: receive a cardiac signal representative of cardiac activity of a subject; apply a first arrhythmia detection criteria to the received cardiac signal; apply, in response to the applied first arrhythmia detection criteria producing a positive indication of arrhythmia, a second arrhythmia detection criteria to the received cardiac signal, wherein the second arrhythmia detection criteria is more specific to detection of arrhythmia than the first detection criteria; detect, in response to the applied first and second arrhythmia detection criteria, a sensing event indicating one or both of the first and second arrhythmia detection criteria are susceptible to false indications of arrhythmia; and adjust, in response to a detected sensing event, sensitivity or specificity of one or both of the first and second arrhythmia detection criteria.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing medical information storage and transmission are discussed. A data management system may include a receiver circuit to receive information about a physiological event sensed from a patient, and an event prioritizer circuit to assign a priority to the received information. A control circuit may perform data reduction of the received information according to the assigned priority. Data reduction at a higher reduction rate is performed on the received information if a lower priority is assigned than if a higher priority is assigned. The system may include an output circuit to output the received information to a user or a process, or to transmit the received information to an external device, according to the assigned priority.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a stimulus circuit, a switch circuit, and a control circuit. The stimulus circuit is configured to provide electrical pulse stimulation to the plurality of electrodes. The switch circuit is configured to electrically couple different combinations of the electrodes to the stimulus circuit. The control circuit is to configure a stimulation vector that includes a first vector electrode and a plurality of other electrodes electrically coupled together to form a second combined vector electrode. The control circuit includes a capture detection sub-circuit configured to determine individual capture stimulation thresholds between the first vector electrode and each single electrode of the combined vector electrode. The control circuit is configured to determine a capture stimulation threshold of the stimulation vector using the determined individual capture thresholds.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and treating patients with heart failure (HF) are discussed. The system may sense cardiac signals, and receives information about patient physiological or functional conditions. A stimulation parameter table that includes recommended values of atrioventricular delay (AVD) or other timing parameters maybe created at a multitude of patient physiological or functional conditions. The system may periodically reassess patient physiological or functional conditions. A therapy programmer circuit may dynamically switch between left ventricular-only pacing and biventricular pacing, or switch between single site pacing and multisite pacing based on the patient condition. The therapy programmer circuit may adjust AVD and other timing parameters using the cardiac signal input and the stored stimulation parameter table. A HF therapy may be delivered according to the determined stimulation site, stimulation mode, and the stimulation timing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and treating patients with heart failure (HF) are discussed. The system may sense cardiac signals, and receives information about patient physiological or functional conditions. A stimulation parameter table that includes recommended values of atrioventricular delay (AVD) or other timing parameters maybe created at a multitude of patient physiological or functional conditions. The system may periodically reassess patient physiological or functional conditions. A therapy programmer circuit may dynamically switch between left ventricular-only pacing and biventricular pacing, or switch between single site pacing and multisite pacing based on the patient condition. The therapy programmer circuit may adjust AVD and other timing parameters using the cardiac signal input and the stored stimulation parameter table. A HF therapy may be delivered according to the determined stimulation site, stimulation mode, and the stimulation timing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and treating patients with heart failure (HF) are discussed. The system may sense cardiac signals, and receives information about patient physiological or functional conditions. A stimulation parameter table that includes recommended values of atrioventricular delay (AVD) or other timing parameters maybe created at a multitude of patient physiological or functional conditions. The system may periodically reassess patient physiological or functional conditions. A therapy programmer circuit may dynamically switch between left ventricular-only pacing and biventricular pacing, or switch between single site pacing and multisite pacing based on the patient condition. The therapy programmer circuit may adjust AVD and other timing parameters using the cardiac signal input and the stored stimulation parameter table. A HF therapy may be delivered according to the determined stimulation site, stimulation mode, and the stimulation timing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing machine-generated medical alerts associated with physiological events detected from one or more patients are described herein. An alert management system may receive medical events detected from a patient and physiological data associated with patient historical medical alerts. The system comprises an alert prioritizer circuit to generate an event priority indicator for the detected medical event, using a comparison between the detected medical event and the physiological data associated with patient historical medical alerts. The system can identify prolific alert patients using the information about the historical medical alerts. The alert prioritizer circuit can adjust a priority of the detected medical event, and an output circuit can present a priority to a user or a process using the event priority indicator and the identification of prolific alert patient.

Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating multiple candidate electrostimulation vectors for use in therapeutic cardiac stimulation are disclosed. The system can include a programmable electrostimulator circuit for delivering electrostimulation to one or more sites of a heart according to multiple candidate electrostimulation vectors. One or more physiologic sensors can detect resulting physiologic responses to the electrostimulation. A processor circuit can generate categories of indicators including therapy efficacy indicators, battery longevity indicators, or complication indicators using the sensed physiologic responses. The candidate electrostimulation vectors can be ranked according to the categories of indicators in specified orders.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an arrhythmia detection circuit configured to: detect atrial arrhythmia in a first portion of a sensed cardiac signal using a first arrhythmia detection criteria, wherein the sensed cardiac signal is representative of cardiac activity of a subject; and upon detection of the atrial arrhythmia, analyze a second portion of the cardiac signal that is prior in time to the first portion using a second different arrhythmia detection criteria to detect the presence or absence of the atrial arrhythmia in the second portion of the cardiac signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting atrial arrhythmias such as atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) are described herein. An AT detection system may include a heart rate detector circuit configured to detect, from a physiological signal, representative ventricular heart rates within heart rate analysis windows. An atrial tachyarrhythmia detector circuit may perform an initial rate detection using a first ventricular heart rate statistic generated from the representative ventricular heart rates, and to perform a sustained arrhythmia detection using one or more second ventricular heart rate statistics generated within a second plurality of heart rate analysis windows during a specific duration. An AT event is detected if the second ventricular heart rate statistics satisfy a specific condition throughout the specific duration. The AT detection system may include an output unit that may output the detected AT to a user or a process.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a sensing circuit configured to generate a sensed physiological signal representative of cardiac activity of a subject, and an arrhythmia detection circuit. The arrhythmia detection circuit is configured to monitor information corresponding to ventricular depolarization (V-V) intervals using the sensed physiological signal; determine a V-V interval distribution; determine a heart rate density index (HRDI) as a portion of samples of the V-V interval distribution corresponding to a V-V interval occurring most often in the distribution; and generate an indication of atrial fibrillation (AF) using the HRDI.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit configured to sense a plurality of intrinsic cardiac signals using a plurality of cardiac pacing sites, a heart sound sensing circuit, a stimulus circuit configured to provide an electrical cardiac pacing stimulus to the plurality of pacing sites, and a control circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and the stimulus circuit. The control circuit includes a pacing site locating circuit configured to generate an indication of a preferred pacing site as one of a) a subset of the respective cardiac pacing sites selected using the intrinsic ventricular activation time interval value, from which subset the preferred pacing site is selected using the heart sound characteristic value; or b) a subset of the respective cardiac pacing sites selected using the heart sound characteristic value, from which subset the preferred pacing site is selected using the ventricular activation time interval value.