How does a Minute Ventilation Pacemaker affect ICG technology?
MV pacemakers work on a principle similar to ICG, with low amplitude (in the hundreds of micro-amps) constant current pulses sent out at a rate of 20-30 per second between the pacemaker can and the electrodes in the heart. The pacemaker reads the resultant voltage from a different electrode and determines both the rate and tidal volume of respiration. The pacemaker then uses that information to determine the pacing rate of the implanted device. When the patient is connected to an ICG technology system, the pacemaker reads back a combination of the pacemaker’s own stimulation along with the stimulation current of our ICG device. Therefore, the pacemaker can easily get a varying or erroneous reading. In the best case, the pacemaker will reject the readings as noise and have no effect on the pacer rate. In the worst case, the pacemaker will accept the readings and rapidly increase the rate of the pacemaker.
MV pacemakers work on a principle similar to ICG, with low amplitude (in the hundreds of micro-amps) constant current pulses sent out at a rate of 20-30 per second between the pacemaker can and the electrodes in the heart. The pacemaker reads the resultant voltage from a different electrode and determines both the rate and tidal volume of respiration. The pacemaker then uses that information to determine the pacing rate of the implanted device. When the patient is connected to an ICG technology system, the pacemaker reads back a combination of the pacemaker’s own stimulation along with the stimulation current of our ICG device. Therefore, the pacemaker can easily get a varying or erroneous reading. In the best case, the pacemaker will reject the readings as noise and have no effect on the pacer rate. In the worst case, the pacemaker will accept the readings and rapidly increase the rate of the pacemaker. Because of the danger that an unwanted and possibly harmful interaction can exist,
