Design and implementation of a microprocessor-based controller for rate-responsive demand pacemaker applications

This paper presents a design of microprocessor based controller for the VVIR (Ventricular pacing, Ventricle sensing, Inhibited and rate Responsive) pacemaker. The heart rate responds to the central venous blood temperature changes. The digital controllers of the prototype VVIR pacemaker were realized in both 89C51 single chip and Altera FPGA chip. The VVIR pacemaker operational characteristics include pacing modes, parametric programmability and rate responsive pacing. These have been verified with the authors' self-designed tester and the results successfully meet the system specifications.