Patent ID: 7720534
Filing Date: 2010-05-18
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. A method of treating a patient comprising: providing a cardiac stimulus system comprising a canister housing operational circuitry and a lead assembly coupled to the canister, the operational circuitry including sense circuitry for sensing patient cardiac function and delivery circuitry for delivering cardiac stimulus to the patient; and implanting the cardiac stimulus system into a patient such that the canister and lead assembly are disposed internal to the patient with no transvenous, intracardiac, or epicardial electrodes; wherein the cardiac stimulus system is configured to perform the following: observing transthoracic impedance of the patient to determine whether respiration is occurring; identifying a cardiac condition of the patient indicating need for cardiac stimulus; and if cardiac stimulus is needed, delivering one or more electrical stimuli to the patient's heart using at least the lead assembly.