Communication of therapy activity of a first implantable medical device to another implantable medical device

Abstract

Cardiac activity of the heart can be sensed using, for example, one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCPs) that are implanted in a close proximity to the heart. Sensing cardiac activity by the one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCPs) can help the system in determining an occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. For treatment purposes, electrical stimulation therapy, for example anti-tachyarrhythmia pacing (ATP) therapy, can be delivered by at least one of the devices of the system. Such therapy can help treat the detected cardiac arrhythmia. In some instances, one of the leadless cardiac pacemakers can instruct one or more of the other devices to assist in providing pacing therapy. In some instances, one of the leadless cardiac pacemakers can instruct one or more of the other devices to temporarily stop providing therapy or to simply shut down while another device provides therapy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to a heart of a patient, the method comprising:
 determining, by a leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP), to deliver an anti-tachycardia pacing therapy;   delivering the anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to the heart of the patient using the LCP; and   in response to having determined to proceed with delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapy, communicating a message via sub-threshold, non-capture, conducted communication pulses from the LCP to an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) before delivery of the anti-tachycardia pacing therapy by the LCP such that the IMD modifies its behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD modifies its behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP by temporarily stopping providing therapy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (SICD). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is an implantable cardiac pacemaker (ICP). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is one of an external cardioverter-defibrillator, a diagnostic device and a neural stimulation device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the LCP is configured to deliver the anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to a ventricle of the patient's heart. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the LCP is configured to deliver a therapy to an atrium of the patient's heart. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is configured to deliver a therapy to the patient's heart, and the message received from the LCP modifies the therapy that is delivered by the IMD. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the LCP is configured to deliver anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to a first ventricle site, and the IMD is configured to deliver defibrillation shock therapy to the heart. 
     
     
         10 . A method for delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to a heart of a patient, the method comprising:
 sensing one or more cardiac signals;   determining to deliver an anti-tachycardia pacing therapy based, at least in part, on the one or more sensed cardiac signals;   delivering an anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to the heart of the patient using a leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP);   in response to having determined to proceed with delivering an anti-tachycardia pacing therapy, communicating a message via non-capture communication pulses from the LCP to an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) before delivery of the anti-tachycardia pacing therapy; and   modifying a behavior of the IMD in response to receiving the message via the non-capture communication pulses from the LCP.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sensing and determining steps are performed at least in part by the LCP. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the IMD modifies the behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP by temporarily stopping providing a therapy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the IMD is a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (SICD). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the IMD is an implantable cardiac pacemaker (ICP). 
     
     
         15 . An implantable medical device system for delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to a heart of a patient, the implantable medical device system comprising:
 a leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP) configured to determine to deliver anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to the heart of the patient;   an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) communicatively coupled with the LCP;   wherein the LCP is configured to deliver anti-tachycardia pacing therapy to the heart of the patient; and   wherein the LCP, in response to having determined to proceed with delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapy, communicating a message via sub-threshold, non-capture, conducted communication pulses to the IMD before delivery of the anti-tachycardia pacing therapy such that the IMD modifies its behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP.   
     
     
         16 . The implantable medical device system  claim 15 , wherein the IMD modifies its behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP by temporarily stopping providing therapy. 
     
     
         17 . The implantable medical device system of  claim 15 , wherein the IMD modifies its behavior in response to receiving the message from the LCP by assisting in providing therapy to the heart of the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The implantable medical device system of  claim 15 , wherein the IMD is a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (SICD). 
     
     
         19 . The implantable medical device system of  claim 15 , wherein the IMD is an implantable cardiac pacemaker (ICP). 
     
     
         20 . The implantable medical device system of  claim 15 , wherein the IMD is one of an external cardioverter-defibrillator, a diagnostic device and a neural stimulation device.