Balanced charge waveform for transcutaneous pacing
View Patent ↗External pacemaker systems and methods deliver pacing waveforms that minimize hydrolysis of the electrode gel. Compensating pulses are interleaved with the pacing pulses, with a polarity and duration that balance the net charge at the electrode locations. The compensating pulses are preferably rectangular for continuous pacing, and decay individually for on-demand pacing.
1. A transcutaneous cardiac pacing method comprising:
applying pacing electrodes to a patient for transcutaneous pacing;
applying through the electrodes a series of cardiac pacing pulses; and
applying through the electrodes a series of compensating pulses interleaved with the cardiac pacing pulses, the compensating pulses having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the cardiac pacing pulses to at least substantially compensate for a charge of the cardiac pacing pulses and configured to:
start approximately immediately at an end of a first cardiac pacing pulse and last up to an onset of a second cardiac pacing pulse that succeeds the first cardiac pacing pulse,
the pacing pulses and compensating pulses being configured so that a net current applied to a patient is substantially or exactly zero.
2. A system for transcutaneous cardiac pacing comprising:
electrodes for transcutaneous pacing;
means for applying through the electrodes a series of cardiac pacing pulses having a first polarity; and
means for applying through the electrodes a series of compensating pulses interleaved with the cardiac pacing pulses, the compensating pulses having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity so that an amount of charge of the second polarity substantially or exactly equal to a charge of the first polarity is applied by the electrodes and configured to:
start approximately immediately at an end of a first cardiac pacing pulse and last up to an onset of a second cardiac pacing pulses that succeeds the first cardiac pacing pulse.