Patent ID: 6643548
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
In an implantable cardiac stimulation device, a system for monitoring a progression and regression of a patient's heart disease, the system comprising:a sensing circuit that senses a patient's cardiac signals; an acoustic sensor that detects a patient's heart sounds; a processor programmed to determine relative changes in at least one heart sound, and to provide information related to the relative changes indicating whether there is progression or regression in the patient's heart disease; timing circuitry, coupled to the sensing circuit and the acoustic sensor, that is operative to determine a time interval between a selected heart sound and a selected cardiac event within the patient's cardiac signals; and wherein the processor is programmed to determine relative changes in the time interval between the selected heart sound and the selected cardiac event within the patient's cardiac signal, the processor further being programmed to detect a progression of heart disease based on the relative changes in the time interval.