Current source drive-sense circuit (DSC) serviced pacemaker

Abstract

A pacemaker system includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to a pacemaker lead. The DSC generates a pace signal including electrical impulses based on a reference signal. The DSC provides the pace signal via the pacemaker lead to an electrically responsive portion of a cardiac conductive system of a subject to facilitate cardiac operation of a cardiovascular system of the subject. The DSC senses, via the pacemaker lead, cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to the pace signal and electrically coupled into the pacemaker lead and generates a digital signal that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead. The DSC provides digital information to one or more processing modules that includes and/or is coupled to memory and that provide the reference signal to the DSC.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pacemaker system comprising:
 a pacemaker lead; and   a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to a pacemaker lead and configured to provide a pace signal including electrical impulses via the pacemaker lead to an electrically responsive portion of a cardiac conductive system of a subject to facilitate cardiac operation of a cardiovascular system of the subject and simultaneously to sense cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to the pace signal and electrically coupled into the pacemaker lead, the DSC including:
 a comparator configured to produce an error signal based on comparison of a reference signal to the pace signal; 
 a dependent current supply configured to generate the pace signal in cooperation with the comparator based on the error signal and to provide the pace signal via a single line that couples to the pacemaker lead; and 
 an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to process the error signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the reference signal is received at a first input of the comparator, and the pace signal is received at a second input of the comparator; and   the single line couples to the pacemaker lead and the second input of the comparator.   
     
     
         3 . The pacemaker system of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a signal generator operably coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured to generate the reference signal and to provide the reference signal to the first input of the comparator. 
 
     
     
         4 . The pacemaker system of  claim 3 , wherein the signal generator is further configured to:
 adjust one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal to facilitate generation of the pace signal by the DSC to facilitate capture by the cardiac conductive system of the subject in response to the pace signal.   
     
     
         5 . The pacemaker system of  claim 4 , wherein adjustment of the one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal causes adjustment of at least one electrical characteristic of the pace signal including at least one of:
 a magnitude of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   a pulse width of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   an amount of current level delivered via the electrical impulses of the pace signal; or   a frequency or rate of the electrical impulses of the pace signal.   
     
     
         6 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 memory that stores operational instructions; and 
 one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC and the memory, wherein the one or more processing modules is configured to execute the operational instructions to process the digital signal generated by the DSC to determine the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead. 
 
     
     
         7 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 memory that stores operational instructions; and 
 one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC including to a first input of the comparator and the memory, wherein the one or more processing modules is configured to execute the operational instructions to generate the reference signal and to provide the reference signal to the first input of the comparator, wherein the single line couples to the pacemaker lead and a second input of the comparator. 
 
     
     
         8 . The pacemaker system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
 adjust one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal to facilitate generation of the pace signal by the DSC to facilitate capture by the cardiac conductive system of the subject in response to the pace signal.   
     
     
         9 . The pacemaker system of  claim 8 , wherein adjustment of the one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal causes adjustment of at least one electrical characteristic of the pace signal including at least one of:
 a magnitude of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   a pulse width of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   an amount of current level delivered via the electrical impulses of the pace signal; or   a frequency or rate of the electrical impulses of the pace signal.   
     
     
         10 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1 , wherein the pacemaker lead is implanted in or in proximity to a sinoatrial (SA) node of the cardiovascular system of the subject, and wherein the pacemaker lead is implemented with one single conductor. 
     
     
         11 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1 , wherein the pacemaker lead is implanted in or in proximity to a ventricle of the cardiovascular system of the subject, and wherein the pacemaker lead is implemented with one single conductor. 
     
     
         12 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 another DSC operably coupled to another pacemaker lead and configured to provide another pace signal including other electrical impulses via the another pacemaker lead to another electrically responsive portion of the cardiac conductive system of the subject to facilitate cardiac operation of the cardiovascular system of the subject. 
 
     
     
         13 . The pacemaker system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 another DSC operably coupled to another pacemaker lead and configured to provide another pace signal including other electrical impulses via the another pacemaker lead to another electrically responsive portion of the cardiac conductive system of the subject to facilitate cardiac operation of the cardiovascular system of the subject and simultaneously to sense cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to at least one of the pace signal or the another pace signal and electrically coupled into the another pacemaker lead. 
 
     
     
         14 . The pacemaker system of  claim 13 , wherein, the another DSC is further configured to generate another digital signal that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to at least one of the pace signal or the another pace signal and electrically coupled into the another pacemaker lead; and further comprising:
 memory that stores operational instructions; and   one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC, the another DSC, and the memory, wherein the one or more processing modules is configured to execute the operational instructions to:   process the digital signal generated by the DSC to determine the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead; and   process the another digital signal generated by the another DSC that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to at least one of the pace signal or the another pace signal and electrically coupled into the another pacemaker lead.   
     
     
         15 . A pacemaker system comprising:
 a pacemaker lead that is implanted in or in proximity to a sinoatrial (SA) node of a cardiovascular system of a subject, and wherein the pacemaker lead is implemented with one single conductor; and   a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to a pacemaker lead and configured to provide a pace signal including electrical impulses via the pacemaker lead to an electrically responsive portion of a cardiac conductive system of the subject to facilitate cardiac operation of the cardiovascular system of the subject and simultaneously to sense cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to the pace signal and electrically coupled into the pacemaker lead, the DSC including:
 a comparator configured to produce an error signal based on comparison of a reference signal to the pace signal; 
 a dependent current supply configured to generate the pace signal in cooperation with the comparator based on the error signal and to provide the pace signal via a single line that couples to the pacemaker lead; and 
 an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to process the error signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead; 
   another pacemaker lead; and   another DSC operably coupled to the another pacemaker lead and configured to provide another pace signal including other electrical impulses via the another pacemaker lead to another electrically responsive portion of the cardiac conductive system of the subject to facilitate cardiac operation of the cardiovascular system of the subject.   
     
     
         16 . The pacemaker system of  claim 15 , wherein the another pacemaker lead is implanted in or in proximity to a ventricle of the cardiovascular system of the subject, and wherein the another pacemaker lead is implemented with one single conductor. 
     
     
         17 . The pacemaker system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the reference signal is received at a first input of the comparator, and the pace signal is received at a second input of the comparator; and   the single line couples to the pacemaker lead and the second input of the comparator.   
     
     
         18 . The pacemaker system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 memory that stores operational instructions; and 
 one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC including to a first input of the comparator and the memory, wherein the one or more processing modules is configured to execute the operational instructions to generate the reference signal and to provide the reference signal to the first input of the comparator, wherein the single line couples to the pacemaker lead and a second input of the comparator. 
 
     
     
         19 . The pacemaker system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
 adjust one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal to facilitate generation of the pace signal by the DSC to facilitate capture by the cardiac conductive system of the subject in response to the pace signal.   
     
     
         20 . The pacemaker system of  claim 19 , wherein adjustment of the one or more electrical characteristics of the reference signal causes adjustment of at least one electrical characteristic of the pace signal including at least one of:
 a magnitude of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   a pulse width of the electrical impulses of the pace signal;   an amount of current level delivered via the electrical impulses of the pace signal; or   a frequency or rate of the electrical impulses of the pace signal.