Pacemakers have improved the lives of many by regulating heart rhythm and blood flow.
Three types of pacemaker sensors are available to patients who can benefit from an implanted pacemaker. Pacemaker sensors can detect movement, breathing rates or both movement and breathing rates. Some patients will benefit from one or the other or the combination of both sensors. Only a cardiologist can help a patient make this determination based on his physical condition and medical needs.
Accelerometer
According to St. Jude Medical, an accelerometer sensor responds to the human body in motion, and this type of pacemaker sensor is widely used because the technology has been around for many years. The sensor works by comparing physical activity and the heart rate. The accelerometer is sensitive to and responds to changes in posture, physical activity and body movements.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the rapid response of the accelerometer is important to regulate heart rate when the pacemaker patient engages in "burst activity" during every day activities like standing up or physical exercise.
The doctors point out that the accelerometer does not recognize oxygen needs of the pacemaker patient, which is a disadvantage when the patient depletes oxygen by laughing, coughing or engaging in isometric exercises.
Ventilation Sensor
The National Institutes of Health mentions that ventilation sensors in pacemakers respond to an increase in the patient's rate of breathing when the patient is active, and the heart rate goes up when breathing increases. Furthermore, a patient's breathing rate increases with exercise like walking or climbing stairs. When the patient's breathing slows, the ventilation sensor detects the rate of breathing and responds by slowing the heart rate.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, doctors from Unita Operativa Cardiologia in Milan, Italy, found that patients implanted with pacemakers equipped with a ventilation sensor showed "significant improvement" in breathing during their daily routine. They found that pacemakers with a ventilation sensor responded well to meet the oxygen needs of the patients.
Blended Sensor
Blended pacemaker sensors are equipped with both an accelerometer and a ventilation sensor. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the pacemaker adjusts heart rate based on information from both sensors to achieve an activity-appropriate heart rate, and the sensors are cross checked in the pacemaker to avoid increasing the heart rate unnecessarily. Both the accelerometer and the ventilation sensor must show an increase in activity and breathing rate before the pacemaker will increase the patient's heart rate.
The patient avoids an unnecessary increase in heart risk when only one sensor detects and responds with a signal to increase the heart rate, according to UK Pub Med Central. For example, if a patient receives a drug, that increases their breathing rate, but he is not engaged in increased physical activity, or conversely if the accelerometer is tapped or moved but the breathing rate is not increased, the pacemaker will not increase heart rate. Heart rate is increased only when both sensors detect the need to increase heart rate.
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