What is claimed is:
1. A connection detecting connector, comprising:
first and second housings (10, 20; 50, 20) connectable with and separable from each other along a connecting direction (CD), the first housing (20) comprising a slider (40; 60) movable in a direction (SD) oblique to the connecting direction (CD) and a biasing member (30) for biasing the slider (40; 60) forward with respect to the connecting direction (CD), wherein:
a pushing portion (12; 51) provided at the second housing (10, 50) for contacting and pushing a pushable portion (42; 61) of the slider (40; 60) while the housings (10, 20; 50, 20) are being connected, and for moving the slider (40; 60) backward with respect to the connecting direction (CD) while accumulating a force in the biasing member (30), and
the pushing portion (12; 51) and the pushable portion (42; 61) disengaging when the housings (10, 20; 50, 20) substantially reach a properly connected state (FIG. 6; 10), whereby the biasing member (30) is at least partly restored while moving the slider (40; 60) forward with respect to the connecting direction (CD).
2. The connection detecting connector of claim 1, wherein, when the biasing member (30) is restored in the properly connected state (FIG. 6, 10), a lock (42; 61) of the slider (40; 60) engages a rear side of an engaging portion (12; 51) of the second housing (10; 50) with respect to the connecting direction (CD) to lock the two housings (10, 20; 50, 20) together.
3. The connection detecting connector of claim 2, wherein the lock (42; 61) and the engaging portion (12; 51) both comprise a slanted surface (12B, 42B; 51B, 61B) substantially extending along a moving direction (SD) of the slider (40; 60), the lock (42; 61) and the engaging portion (12; 51) being engageable with each other while the slanted surfaces (12B, 42B; 51B, 61B) are held substantially in contact.
4. The connection detecting connector of claim 3, wherein the engaging portion (51) comprises a recess (51) formed on a surface of the second housing (10, 50).
5. The connection detecting connector of claim 4, wherein the pushable portion (42; 61) also acts as the locking portion (42; 61) and the pushing portion (12; 51) also acts as the engaging portion (12; 51).
6. The connection detecting connector of claim 1, wherein the slider (40; 60) is accommodated in the first housing (20) and comprises an unlocking projection (43) for moving the slider (40; 60) backward with respect to the connecting direction (CD).
7. The connection detecting connector of claim 6, wherein the unlocking projection (43) is in a groove (29) formed in the surface of the first housing (20) so as not to project out of the groove (29).
8. The connection detecting connector of claim 1, wherein the pushing portion (12) comprises a projection (12) laterally projecting from the second housing (10).
9. The connection detecting connector of claim 1, wherein the slider (40; 60) comprises at least one guide (41; 61) to interact with at least one corresponding mating guide (27) in the first housing (10) for guiding a movement of the slider (40; 60) along its movement direction (SD).
10. The connection detecting connector of claim 1, wherein the slider (40; 60) comprises at least one for stopping a forward movement of the slider (40; 60) at a front-stop position (FIG. 1, 7; 8, 11).
11. A connection detecting connector, comprising:
first and second housings (10, 20; 50, 20) having front ends that are connectable with one another by moving said housings (10, 20; 50, 20) along a connecting direction (CD);
a slider (40; 60) mounted in the first housing (20) for movement in a moving direction (SD) oblique to the connecting direction (CD), the slider (40; 60) having a pushable surface (42; 61) facing towards the front end of the first housing (20);
a biasing member (30) for biasing the slider (40; 60) toward the front end of the first housing (20);
a pushing surface (12; 51) formed on the second housing (10, 50) and aligned for contacting the pushable surface (42; 61) of the slider (40; 60) while the housings (10, 20; 50, 20) are being connected, and for moving the slider (40; 60) along the moving direction (SD) while accumulating a force in the biasing member (30), and
the pushable portion (42; 61) disengaging from the pushing portion (12; 51) when the housings (10, 20; 50, 20) substantially reach a properly connected state (FIG. 6; 10) such that the biasing member (30) is at least partly restored and returns the slider (40; 60) towards the front end of the first housing (20).
12. The connection detecting connector of claim 11, wherein the biasing member (30) biases the slider (40; 60) into a position for engaging the second housing (10; 50) to lock the two housings (10, 20; 50, 20) together.
13. The connection detecting connector of claim 12, wherein the slider (40; 60) and the second housing (10; 50) both comprise a slanted surface (12B, 42B; 51B, 61B) substantially extending along the moving direction (SD) of the slider (40; 60), the slanted surfaces (12B, 42B; 51B, 61B) being held in contact for locking the housings (10, 20; 50, 20) together.
14. The connection detecting connector of claim 13, wherein the slider (40; 60) is accommodated in the first housing (20) and comprises an unlocking projection (43) for moving the slider (40; 60) backward with respect to the connecting direction (CD).
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An implantable medical device for coupling to a heart having a right atrium (RA), a left atrium (LA), a sinoatrial (SA) node, and an atrial septum through one or more leads including a first electrode for placement near the SA node, a second electrode for placement near the atrial septum, and a third electrode for placement in the LA, the implantable medical device comprising:
a sensing circuit configured to sense a plurality of atrial electrograms using the plurality of atrial electrodes;
an arrhythmia detection circuit configured to detect tachyarrhythmia; and
an arrhythmia classification circuit configured to classify the detected tachyarrhythmia, the arrhythmia classification circuit including:
an atrial signal mapping module configured to map an atrial activation sequence using the sensed plurality of atrial electrograms, the atrial activation sequence indicative of an order of regional depolarizations during an atrial depolarization; and
an atrial pattern analyzer configured to classify the detected tachyarrhythmia using the atrial activation sequence.
2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to sense an RA electrogram through the first electrode, an LA electrogram through the third electrode, and an atrial septal electrogram through the second electrode, and the atrial signal mapping module is configured to map an atrial activation sequence using the RA electrogram, the LA electrogram, and the atrial septal electrogram.
3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, further comprising:
an event detection circuit configured to detect an RA event from the RA electrogram and an LA event from the LA electrogram during an atrial depolarization;
an inter-atrial interval measurement circuit configured to measure an inter-aerial interval being a time interval between the RA event and the LA event; and
one or more of an atrial enlargement detection circuit and an atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, the atrial enlargement detection circuit configured to detect abnormal enlargement of at least one of the RA and LA using the inter-atrial interval, the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit configured to detect atrial conduction disturbance using the inter-atrial interval.
4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, further comprising the atrial enlargement detection circuit, and the atrial enlargement detection circuit comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold interval, and an output to indicate the abnormal enlargement of at least one atrium when the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold interval.
5. The implantable medical device of claim 3, further comprising the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, and the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit is configured to detect a variance of the inter-atrial interval and comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the variance of the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold variance, and an output to indicate the atrial conduction disturbance when the variance of the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold variance.
6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the atrial pattern analyzer comprises at least two of:
a right atrial pattern matching module configured to detect a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of a right atrial origin by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined right atrial pattern template sequence;
a left atrial pattern matching module configured to detect an supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of a left atrial origin by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined left atrial pattern template sequence; and
an atrial septal pattern matching module configured to detect one of a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of atrial septal origin and a ventricular tachyarrhythmia by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined atrial septal pattern template sequence.
7. A cardiac rhythm management system coupled to a heart having a right atrium (RA) connected to a superior vena cava, a left atrium (LA), a left ventricle (LV), a sinoatrial (SA) node, an atrial septum, a coronary sinus, and a coronary vein, the system comprising:
one or more leads including a plurality of atrial electrodes; and
an implantable medical device coupled to the one or more leads, the implantable medical device including:
a sensing circuit configured to sense a plurality of atrial electrograms using the plurality of atrial electrodes;
an arrhythmia detection circuit configured to detect tachyarrhythmia; and
an arrhythmia classification circuit configured to classify the detected tachyarrhythmia, the arrhythmia classification circuit including:
an atrial signal mapping module configured to map an atrial activation sequence using the sensed plurality of atrial electrograms, the atrial activation sequence indicative of an order of regional depolarization during an atrial depolarization; and
an atrial pattern analyzer configured to classify the detected tachyarrhythmia using the atrial activation sequence.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more leads comprises a first lead including:
an LA electrode configured for placement in the coronary sinus or coronary vein near the LA;
an atrial septal electrode configured for placement in the coronary sinus near the atrial septum; and
a high RA (HRA) electrode configured for placement in the RA or the superior vena cava near the SA node,
wherein the sensing circuit is configured to sense an RA electrogram via the HRA electrode, an LA electrogram via the LA electrode, and an atrial septal electrogram via the atrial septal electrode, and wherein the atrial signal mapping module is configured to map an atrial activation sequence using the RA electrogram, the LA electrogram, and the atrial septal electrogram.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the implantable medical device comprises:
an event detection circuit configured to detect an RA event from the RA electrogram and an LA event from the LA electrogram during an atrial depolarization; and
an inter-atrial interval measurement circuit configured to measure an inter-atrial interval being a time interval between the RA event and the LA event.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises one or more of an atrial enlargement detection circuit and an atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, the atrial enlargement detection circuit configured to detect abnormal enlargement of at least one of the RA and LA using the inter-atrial interval, the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit configured to detect atrial conduction disturbance using the inter-atrial interval.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the atrial enlargement detection circuit, and the atrial enlargement detection circuit comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold interval, and an output to indicate the abnormal enlargement of at least one atrium when the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold interval.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, and the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit is configured to detect a variance of the inter-atrial interval and comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the variance of the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold variance, and an output to indicate the atrial conduction disturbance when the variance of the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold variance.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first lead further comprises an LV electrode configured for placement in the coronary vein over the LV, the sensing circuit is further configured to sense an LV electrogram via the LV electrode, and the atrial pattern analyzer is configured to classify the tachyarrhythmia using the atrial activation sequence and the LV electrogram.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more leads comprises a first lead and a second lead, the first lead including a high RA (HRA) electrode configured for placement in the RA or the superior vena cava near the SA node and a second RA electrode configured for placement in the RA, the second lead including an LA electrode configured for placement in the coronary sinus or coronary vein near the LA, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to sense an RA electrogram via the HRA electrode, an LA electrogram via the LA electrode, and an atrial septal electrogram via the second atrial electrode, and wherein the atrial signal mapping module is configured to map an atrial activation sequence using the RA electrogram, the LA electrogram, and the atrial septal electrogram.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises:
an event detection circuit configured to detect an RA event from the RA electrogram and an LA event from the LA electrogram during an atrial depolarization; and
an inter-atrial interval measurement circuit configured to measure a time interval between the RA event and the LA event.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises one or more of an atrial enlargement detection circuit and an atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, the atrial enlargement detection circuit configured to detect abnormal enlargement of at least one atrium using the inter-atrial interval, the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit configured to detect atrial conduction disturbance using the inter-atrial interval.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the atrial enlargement detection circuit, and the atrial enlargement detection circuit comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold interval, and an output to indicate the abnormal enlargement of at least one atrium when the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold interval.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit, and the atrial conduction disturbance detection circuit is configured to detect a variance of the inter-atrial interval and comprises a comparator including a first input to receive the variance of the inter-atrial interval, a second input to receive a predetermined threshold variance, and an output to indicate the atrial conduction disturbance when the variance of the inter-atrial interval exceeds the predetermined threshold variance.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein the second lead further comprises an LV electrode configured for placement in the coronary vein over the LV, wherein the sensing circuit is further configured to sense an LV electrogram via the LV electrode, and wherein the atrial pattern analyzer is configured to classify the tachyarrhythmia using the atrial activation sequence and the LV electrogram.
20. The system of claim 7, wherein the atrial pattern analyzer comprises at least two of:
a right atrial pattern matching module configured to detect a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of a right atrial origin by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined right atrial pattern template sequence;
a left atrial pattern matching module configured to detect an supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of a left atrial origin by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined left atrial pattern template sequence; and
an atrial septal pattern matching module configured to detect one of a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia of atrial septal origin and a ventricular tachyarrhythmia by comparing the atrial activation sequence to a predetermined atrial septal pattern template sequence.