text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 15, 2012
|Filing date
|Jun 3, 2008
|Priority date
|Oct 9, 2001
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Paul A. Levine
|Original Assignee
|Pacesetter, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (12), Non-Patent Citations (6), Classifications (6), Legal Events (1)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/900,834, filed Jul. 27, 2004, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/973,300, filed Oct. 9, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,955).
This invention relates generally to programmable cardiac stimulating devices. Particularly, the present invention is directed to an implantable stimulation device and associated method capable of automatically adjusting sensitivity and blanking interval settings in a way that minimizes the frequency of ventricular stimulation competition with natural ventricular depolarizations. More specifically, the present cardiac stimulation device offers various automatic capture features, and further allows automatic atrial sensitivity adjustment, automatic ventricular sensitivity adjustment, automatic mode switching, automatic base rate adjustment, and automatic AV interval adjustment.
In the normal human heart, the sinus node, generally located near the junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium, constitutes the primary natural pacemaker initiating rhythmic electrical excitation of the heart chambers. The cardiac impulse arising from the sinus node is transmitted to the two atrial chambers, causing a depolarization known as a P-wave and the resulting atrial chamber contractions. The excitation pulse is further transmitted to and through the ventricles via the atrioventricular (A-V) node and a ventricular conduction system causing a depolarization known as an R-wave and the resulting ventricular chamber contractions.
Disruption of this natural pacemaking and conduction system as a result of aging or disease can be successfully treated by artificial cardiac pacing using implantable cardiac stimulation devices, including pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, which deliver rhythmic electrical pulses or anti-arrhythmia therapies to the heart at a desired energy and rate. A cardiac stimulation device is electrically coupled to the heart by one or more leads possessing one or more electrodes in contact with the heart muscle tissue (myocardium).
Stimulation may be delivered to the atrial and/or the ventricular heart chambers depending on the location and severity of the conduction disorder. In dual chamber, demand-type pacemakers, commonly referred to as DDD pacemakers, an atrial channel and a ventricular channel each include a sense amplifier to detect cardiac activity in the respective chamber and an output circuit for delivering stimulation pulses to the respective chamber. If the atrial channel does not detect an intrinsic atrial depolarization signal (a P-wave), a stimulating pulse will be delivered to depolarize the atrium and cause contraction. Following either a detected P-wave or an atrial pacing pulse, the ventricular channel attempts to detect a depolarization signal in the ventricle, known as an R-wave. If no R-wave is detected within a defined atrial-ventricular interval (AV interval or delay), a stimulation pulse is delivered to the ventricle to cause ventricular contraction. In this way, atrial-ventricular synchrony is maintained by coordinating the delivery of ventricular output in response to a sensed or paced atrial event.
A stimulation pulse delivered to the myocardium must be of sufficient energy to depolarize the tissue, thereby causing a contraction, a condition commonly known as "capture." In early pacemakers, a fixed, high-energy pacing pulse was delivered to ensure capture. While this approach is straightforward, it quickly depletes battery energy and can result in patient discomfort due to extraneous stimulation of surrounding skeletal muscle tissue.
The capture "threshold" is defined as the lowest stimulation pulse energy at which consistent capture occurs. By stimulating the heart chambers at or just above threshold, comfortable and effective cardiac stimulation is provided without unnecessary depletion of battery energy. Threshold, however, is extremely variable from patient-to-patient due to variations in electrode systems used and the electrode positioning. In addition, there are physiological and anatomical variations of the heart itself, and so on. Furthermore, threshold will vary over time within a patient as, for example, fibrotic encapsulation of the electrode occurs during the first few weeks after surgery. Fluctuations may even occur over the course of a day or with changes in medical therapy or disease state.
Hence, techniques for monitoring the cardiac activity following delivery of a stimulation pulse have been incorporated in modern pacemakers in order to verify that capture has indeed occurred. Typically, the internal myocardial electrogram (EGM) signals received on cardiac sensing electrodes are sampled and processed in a way that allows detection of an "evoked response" following delivery of a stimulation pulse. If a loss of capture is detected, that is no evoked response is detected, by such "capture-verification" algorithms, a high-energy safety pulse that will ensure capture can be immediately delivered to prevent a missed heart beat. After which, the cardiac pacing device automatically performs a threshold test in order to re-determine the capture threshold and automatically adjust the stimulation pulse energy to be just above threshold. This approach, called "automatic capture", improves the cardiac stimulation device performance in at least two ways: 1) by verifying that the stimulation pulse delivered to the patient's heart has been effective; and 2) greatly increasing the device's battery longevity by conserving the energy used to generate stimulation pulses.
In dual chamber stimulation devices, therefore, accurate sensing of both evoked responses and the intrinsic deflection of the naturally occurring cardiac events, also referred to as "intrinsic" events, is crucial for achieving atrial-ventricular synchrony. However, sometimes stimulation pulses generated by, for example, the atrial channel of the pacemaker may be detected by the sensing circuitry of the ventricular channel and mistakenly identified as a naturally occurring ventricular event. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as "crosstalk." An atrial stimulation pulse mistakenly detected by the ventricular channel will cause ventricular stimulation output to be inhibited when in fact stimulation is needed, resulting in a "missed beat" or asystole, an undesirable situation.
A common approach for preventing crosstalk is to apply a "blanking interval" to the sensing circuitry of the channel in which crosstalk is anticipated. For example, during application of an atrial stimulation pulse, and for a short time thereafter, the ventricular sensing circuitry is disengaged to prevent the detection of the atrial stimulation pulse and the associated afterpotential signal.
The blanking interval is preferably kept as short as possible to prevent undersensing of natural cardiac events, but it must be long enough to prevent crosstalk. Undersensing of a naturally occurring cardiac event may cause the pacemaker to apply an inappropriate stimulus to the heart. For example, if the pacemaker fails to detect a late-cycle ventricular depolarization because the intrinsic deflection of the EGM occurred during the ventricular blanking interval, an unnecessary stimulation pulse will be delivered to the ventricle. This stimulation pulse may fail to capture the heart because it is delivered during the physiologic refractory period following the native depolarization.
The loss of capture will invoke the automatic capture feature causing a high-energy, back-up pulse to be delivered. This back-up pulse could be delivered coincidentally with the repolarization phase of the myocardium, represented by the T-wave portion of the ECG signal. Delivery of a high-energy stimulation pulse that is certain to capture the heart during the T-wave can induce a potentially life-threatening ventricular tachycardia in a patient susceptible to cardiac arrhythmias. Thus, the automatic capture feature, which is intended as a safety feature, may have an adverse effect even during normal operation of the stimulation device. It is therefore extremely important to minimize ventricular stimulation competition with intrinsic ventricular activity due to blanking period ventricular undersensing as just described.
One approach to avoiding T-wave stimulation that might occur as a result of ventricular fusion or pseudofusion which can be interpreted by the automatic capture algorithm as noncapture resulting in delivery of the high-output back-up pulse is to extend the AV interval on the next cycle. If the presumed loss of capture was actually due to fusion with intact AV nodal conduction, the native ventricular complex will be sensed and inhibit the subsequent ventricular output. However, this approach does not remedy the problem of blanking period ventricular undersensing of ventricular depolarizations.
A method for minimizing the blanking period to avoid blanking period undersensing while still preventing crosstalk involves a total blanking period that includes an absolute blanking period and a relative blanking period. The absolute blanking interval may be kept very short to prevent sensing of afterpotential signals associated with the atrial stimulation pulse. The absolute blanking period is followed by a relative blanking period, during which any sensed events are presumed to be residual effects of crosstalk. If no event is detected during the relative refractory period, the blanking period is terminated. An event detection during the relative blanking period will therefore restart a second blanking period until the crosstalk signal has ended. This approach is effective in minimizing the ventricular blanking period in the absence of crosstalk while still preventing crosstalk from occurring when a residual signal can be detected on the ventricular channel.
The situation of a true intrinsic deflection associated with a native cardiac depolarization occurring during the absolute blanking period, and going undetected, has not been fully addressed heretofore. What is needed is a method to determine if a loss of capture event is actually the result of blanking period ventricular undersensing. Blanking period ventricular undersensing may have caused delivery of a ventricular output at a time when capture is not possible, resulting in a loss of capture and the subsequent delivery of a back-up pulse that may be effective since it is delivered later in the cycle. If blanking period ventricular undersensing is suspected, a method for adjusting the stimulation device operating parameters to minimize the occurrences of blanking period ventricular undersensing is desirable. In this way, the potential for triggering a life-threatening tachycardia by unnecessarily stimulating on a T-wave is reduced.
The present invention addresses the foregoing concerns by providing an implantable cardiac stimulation device capable of automatically adjusting sensitivity and blanking interval settings in a way that minimizes the frequency of ventricular stimulation competition with natural ventricular depolarizations. The cardiac stimulation device offers various automatic capture features such as: automatically detecting capture or loss of capture on the primary pulse, preventing loss of heart rate support by delivery of a significantly higher output back-up pulse, automatically determining capture threshold, and automatically adjusting stimulation pulse energy. It further allows automatic atrial sensitivity adjustment, automatic ventricular sensitivity adjustment, automatic mode switching, automatic base rate adjustment, and automatic AV interval adjustment.
One feature of the present invention is to provide a method for determining when a ventricular loss of capture is likely to have been caused by blanking period ventricular undersensing, and, in this situation, to inhibit the delivery of unnecessary high energy stimulation pulses associated with the automatic capture algorithm. This important feature is realized by an automatic "blanking period undersensing detection" algorithm. By implementing this new feature, device performance is improved by avoiding back-up stimulation invoked by automatic capture in a setting of ventricular undersensing, thus minimizing the risk of competition-induced, life-threatening arrhythmias.
Device performance is further improved by increasing the automatic operation of the device in interpreting its own function and appropriately adjusting the operating parameters. Increasing automatic operations can reduce the need for unscheduled office visits to a medical practitioner and reduces the need for high interpretive skills of an attending medical provider in interpreting the cardiac stimulation system function.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting the stimulation device operating parameters such that blanking period ventricular undersensing is minimized.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to discriminate between ventricular loss of capture events as a consequence of functional loss of capture associated with true atrial undersensing, true ventricular undersensing, blanking period ventricular undersensing, and actual loss of capture due to subthreshold stimulation.
Still another feature of the present invention is to automatically adjust device operating parameters to alleviate an identified cause of loss of capture.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention are realized by providing an implantable cardiac stimulation device equipped with cardiac data acquisition capabilities. A preferred embodiment of the stimulation device includes a control system for controlling the operation of the device and executing various test algorithms including automatic capture verification and a ventricular blanking period detection algorithm; a set of leads for receiving cardiac signals and for delivering atrial and ventricular stimulation pulses; a set of sensing circuits comprised of sense amplifiers for sensing and amplifying the cardiac signals; and pulse generators for generating atrial and ventricular stimulation pulses. In addition, the device includes memory for storing operational parameters for the control system. The device also includes a telemetry circuit for communicating with an external programmer.
The various features of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will be described in greater detail with reference to the following description, claims, and drawings, wherein reference numerals are reused, where appropriate, to indicate a correspondence between the referenced items, and wherein:
The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for practicing the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be ascertained with reference to the issued claims. In the description of the invention that follows, like numerals or reference designators will be used to refer to like parts or elements throughout.
As described above, the present invention aims at providing a method for determining when ventricular blanking period undersensing is suspected to be causing ventricular loss of capture. This method also takes corrective action to reduce the likelihood of ventricular blanking period undersensing. The methods of the present invention are intended for use in a dual-chamber or multi-chamber cardiac stimulation system possessing various features of automatic capture. While the present invention could be successfully implemented in numerous cardiac stimulation devices, for the sake of convenience, one cardiac stimulation system in which the methods of the present invention could be implemented, will be described in conjunction with
As shown in
To sense left atrial and ventricular cardiac signals and to provide left chamber pacing therapy, the stimulation device 10 is coupled to a "coronary sinus" lead 24 designed for placement in the "coronary sinus region" via the coronary sinus os for positioning a distal electrode adjacent to the left ventricle and/or additional electrode(s) adjacent to the left atrium. As used herein, the phrase "coronary sinus region" refers to the venous vasculature of the left ventricle, including any portion of the coronary sinus, great cardiac vein, left marginal vein, left posterior ventricular vein, middle cardiac vein, and/or small cardiac vein or any other cardiac vein accessible by the coronary sinus. As used herein, the coronary sinus region also refers to any location within or adjacent to the left ventricle, which may be accessed by either an endocardial lead or an epicardial lead.
Accordingly, an exemplary coronary sinus lead 24 is designed to receive atrial and ventricular cardiac signals and to deliver left ventricular pacing therapy using at least a left ventricular tip electrode 26, left atrial pacing therapy using at least a left atrial ring electrode 27, and shocking therapy using at least a left atrial coil electrode 28.
The stimulation device 10 is also shown in electrical communication with the patient's heart 12 by way of an implantable right ventricular lead 30 having, in this embodiment, a right ventricular tip electrode 32, a right ventricular ring electrode 34, a right ventricular (RV) coil electrode 36, and an SVC coil electrode 38. Typically, the right ventricular lead 30 is transvenously inserted into the heart 12 so as to place the right ventricular tip electrode 32 in the right ventricular apex so that the RV coil electrode will be positioned in the right ventricle and the SVC coil electrode 38 will be positioned in the superior vena cava. Accordingly, the right ventricular lead 30 is capable of receiving cardiac signals, and delivering stimulation in the form of pacing and shock therapy to the right ventricle.
As illustrated in
The housing 40 for the stimulation device 10, shown schematically in
To achieve left chamber sensing, pacing and shocking, the connector includes at least a left ventricular tip terminal (VL TIP) 44, a left atrial ring terminal (AL RING) 46, and a left atrial shocking terminal (AL COIL) 48, which are adapted for connection to the left ventricular ring electrode 26, the left atrial tip electrode 27, and the left atrial coil electrode 28, respectively.
To support right chamber sensing, pacing and shocking, the connector further includes a right ventricular tip terminal (VR TIP) 52, a right ventricular ring terminal (VR RING) 54, a right ventricular shocking terminal (RV COIL) 56, and an SVC shocking terminal (SVC COIL) 58, which are adapted for connection to the right ventricular tip electrode 32, right ventricular ring electrode 34, the RV coil electrode 36, and the SVC coil electrode 38, respectively.
At the core of the stimulation device 10 is a programmable microcontroller 60 which controls the various modes of stimulation therapy. The microcontroller 60 typically includes a microprocessor, or equivalent control circuitry, designed specifically for controlling the delivery of stimulation therapy and may further include RAM or ROM memory, logic and timing circuitry, state machine circuitry, and I/O circuitry. Typically, the microcontroller 60 includes the ability to process or monitor input signals (data) as controlled by a program code stored in a designated block of memory. Any suitable microcontroller 60 may be used that carries out the functions described herein.
As shown in
The microcontroller 60 further includes timing control circuitry 79 which is used to control the timing of such stimulation pulses (e.g., pacing rate, atrio-ventricular (AV) delay, atrial interconduction (A-A) delay, or ventricular interconduction (V-V) delay, etc.) as well as to keep track of the timing of refractory periods, blanking intervals, noise detection windows, evoked response windows, alert intervals, marker channel timing, etc.
The switch 74 includes a plurality of switches for connecting the desired electrodes to the appropriate I/O circuits, thereby providing complete electrode programmability. Accordingly, the switch 74, in response to a control signal 80 from the microcontroller 60, determines the polarity of the stimulation pulses (e.g., unipolar, bipolar, cross-chamber, etc.) by selectively closing the appropriate combination of switches.
Atrial sensing circuits 82 and ventricular sensing circuits 84 may also be selectively coupled to the right atrial lead 20, coronary sinus lead 24, and the right ventricular lead 30, through the switch 74 for detecting the presence of cardiac activity in each of the four chambers of the heart. Accordingly, the atrial (ATR. SENSE) and ventricular (VTR. SENSE) sensing circuits, 82 and 84, may include dedicated sense amplifiers, multiplexed amplifiers, or shared amplifiers. The switch 74 determines the "sensing polarity" of the cardiac signal by selectively closing the appropriate switches. In this way, the clinician may program the sensing polarity independent of the stimulation polarity.
Each sensing circuit, 82 and 84, preferably employs one or more low power, precision amplifiers with programmable gain and/or automatic gain control, bandpass filtering, and a threshold detection circuit, to selectively sense the cardiac signal of interest. The automatic gain control enables the device 10 to deal effectively with the difficult problem of sensing the low amplitude signal characteristics of atrial or ventricular fibrillation.
The outputs of the atrial and ventricular sensing circuits, 82 and 84, are connected to the microcontroller 60 which, in turn, are able to trigger or inhibit the atrial and ventricular pulse generators, 70 and 72, respectively, in a demand fashion in response to the absence or presence of cardiac activity in the appropriate chambers of the heart.
For arrhythmia detection, the device 10 utilizes the atrial and ventricular sensing circuits, 82 and 84, to sense cardiac signals to determine whether a rhythm is physiologic or pathologic. As used herein "sensing" is reserved for the noting of an electrical signal, and "detection" is the processing of these sensed signals and noting the presence of an arrhythmia. The timing intervals between sensed events (e.g., P-waves, R-waves, and depolarization signals associated with fibrillation which are sometimes referred to as "F-waves" or "Fib-waves") are then classified by the microcontroller 60 by comparing them to a predefined rate zone limit (i.e., bradycardia, normal, low rate VT, high rate VT, and fibrillation rate zones) and various other characteristics (e.g., sudden onset, stability, physiologic sensors, and morphology, etc.) in order to determine the type of remedial therapy that is needed (e.g., bradycardia pacing, anti-tachycardia pacing, cardioversion shocks or defibrillation shocks, collectively referred to as "tiered therapy").
Cardiac signals are also applied to the inputs of an analog-to-digital (A/D) data acquisition system 90. The data acquisition system 90 is configured to acquire intracardiac electrogram signals, convert the raw analog data into a digital signal, and store the digital signals for later processing and/or telemetric transmission to an external device 102. The data acquisition system 90 is coupled to the right atrial lead 20, the coronary sinus lead 24, and the right ventricular lead 30 through the switch 74 to sample cardiac signals across any pair of desired electrodes.
Advantageously, the data acquisition system 90 may be coupled to the microcontroller, or other detection circuitry, for detecting an evoked response from the heart 12 in response to an applied stimulus, thereby aiding in the detection of "capture". Capture occurs when an electrical stimulus applied to the heart is of sufficient energy to depolarize the cardiac tissue, thereby causing the heart muscle to contract. The microcontroller 60 detects a depolarization signal during a window following a stimulation pulse, the presence of which indicates that capture has occurred.
The microcontroller 60 enables capture detection by triggering the ventricular pulse generator 72 to generate a stimulation pulse, starting a capture detection window using the timing control circuitry 79 within the microcontroller 60, and enabling the data acquisition system 90 via control signal 92 to sample the cardiac signal that falls in the capture detection window and, based on the signal amplitude or another feature of the signal characteristic of an evoked response, determines if capture has occurred.
Capture detection may occur on a beat-by-beat basis or on a sampled basis. In addition, a capture threshold search is automatically performed on a periodic basis such as every 8 hours. A capture threshold test may also be performed whenever the capture verification routine fails to verify capture following a stimulation pulse. A capture threshold search would begin at a desired starting point (either a high energy level or the level at which capture is currently occurring) and decrease the energy level until capture is lost. The system then begins to increment the output in smaller steps than those which were used to decrease the output. The lowest value at which capture is established is known as the capture threshold. Thereafter, the stimulating energy is set equal to the threshold plus a defined voltage. This is known as the working margin.
The microcontroller 60 is further coupled to a memory 94 by a suitable data/address bus 96, wherein the programmable operating parameters used by the microcontroller 60 are stored and modified, as required, in order to customize the operation of the stimulation device 10 to suit the needs of a particular patient. Such operating parameters define, for example, pacing pulse amplitude, pulse duration, electrode polarity, rate, sensitivity, automatic features, arrhythmia detection criteria, and the amplitude, waveshape and vector of each shocking pulse to be delivered to the patient's heart 12 within each respective tier of therapy.
The operating parameters of the implantable device 10 may be non-invasively programmed into the memory 94 through a telemetry circuit 100 in telemetric communication with the external device 102, such as a programmer, transtelephonic transceiver, or a diagnostic system analyzer. The telemetry circuit 100 is activated by the microcontroller by a control signal 106. The telemetry circuit 100 advantageously allows intracardiac electrograms and status information relating to the operation of the device 10 (as contained in the microcontroller 60 or memory 94) to be sent to the external device 102 through an established communication link 104.
In one preferred embodiment, the stimulation device 10 further includes a physiologic sensor 108, commonly referred to as a "rate-responsive" sensor because it is typically used to adjust pacing stimulation rate according to the exercise state of the patient. However, the physiological sensor 108 may further be used to detect changes in cardiac output, changes in the physiological condition of the heart, or diurnal changes in activity (e.g., detecting sleep and wake states). Accordingly, the microcontroller 60 responds by adjusting the various pacing parameters (such as rate, AV Delay, V-V Delay, etc.) at which the atrial and ventricular pulse generators, 70 and 72, generate stimulation pulses.
The stimulation device additionally includes a battery 110 which provides operating power to all of the circuits shown in
As further shown in
In the case where the stimulation device 10 is intended to operate as an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) device, it must detect the occurrence of an arrhythmia, and automatically apply an appropriate electrical shock therapy to the heart aimed at terminating the detected arrhythmia. To this end, the microcontroller 60 further controls a shocking circuit 116 by way of a control signal 118.
The shocking circuit 116 generates shocking pulses of low (up to 0.5 Joules), moderate (0.5-10 Joules), or high energy (11 to 40 Joules), as controlled by the microcontroller 60. Such shocking pulses are applied to the patient's heart 12 through at least two shocking electrodes, and as shown in this embodiment, selected from the left atrial coil electrode 28, the RV coil electrode 36, and/or the SVC coil electrode 38. As noted earlier, the housing 40 may act as an active electrode in combination with the RV electrode 36, or as part of a split electrical vector using the SVC coil electrode 38 or the left atrial coil electrode 28 (i.e., using the RV electrode as a common electrode).
Cardioversion shocks are generally considered to be of low to moderate energy level (so as to minimize pain felt by the patient), and/or synchronized with an R-wave and/or pertaining to the treatment of tachycardia. Defibrillation shocks are generally of moderate to high energy level (i.e., corresponding to thresholds in the range of 5-40 Joules), delivered asynchronously (since R-waves may be too disorganized), and pertaining exclusively to the treatment of fibrillation. Accordingly, the microcontroller 60 is capable of controlling the synchronous or asynchronous delivery of the shocking pulses.
The blanking period undersensing detection mode 400 represents a novel feature provided by the present invention which will be described in greater detail in conjunction with
During the normal operating mode 300, the microcontroller 60 of device 10 continually assesses the cardiac rhythm at step 305. The rhythm may be classified according to whether the atrium is being sensed or stimulated and whether the ventricle is being sensed or stimulated. A 'P' denotes atrial sensing of the P-wave whereas an 'A' denotes atrial stimulation. Likewise, an 'R' denotes ventricular sensing and a 'V' denotes ventricular stimulation. Thus the predominate cardiac rhythm may be described as a 'PR rhythm', an 'AR rhythm', a 'PV rhythm' or an 'AV rhythm'.
If, at decision step 310, the rhythm is determined to be one of ventricular stimulation, that is an AV or PV rhythm, the automatic capture mode 320 is invoked at decision step 315 to determine if ventricular capture occurred following the ventricular stimulation pulse. As long as ventricular capture is maintained, the device 10 returns to the normal operating mode 300.
However, if ventricular capture is not verified at decision step 315, the automatic capture mode 320 continues. At step 325, a high-energy back stimulation pulse is delivered in order to maintain the desired heart rate. Upon a first loss of capture detection, fusion is suspected at decision step 335. Fusion is defined as the delivery of a stimulation pulse concurrently with a native cardiac depolarization. The resulting intracardiac signal is typically distorted and may not be detected as capture.
If the EGM deflection is not detected, the automatic capture mode 320 determines that loss of capture has occurred and delivers a back-up stimulation pulse. It should be clear that other fusion detection methods may alternatively be used.
In case this first loss of capture detection is a coincidental fusion event, a corrective action is taken at step 340 in order to reduce the likelihood of fusion reoccurring. An exemplary corrective action includes, for example, extending the delay between an atrial sensed event (P), or an atrial stimulated event (A), and the delivery of ventricular stimulation (V). Thus, at step 340, the AV delay and PV delay settings are extended to allow more time for the native depolarization to take place before delivering ventricular stimulation. Device 10 then returns to the normal operating mode 300 (step 305).
If, however, ventricular loss of capture is found to reoccur but has not yet occurred for a predefined number of consecutive stimulation cycles, e.g. three to five cycles, as determined at decision step 345, the automatic capture mode 320 proceeds with performing a threshold search at step 350. The ventricular stimulation energy is automatically adjusted at step 355.
If loss of capture still continues for a predefined number of consecutive cycles, as determined at decision step 345, and stable atrial sensing is not occurring as determined at decision step 347, the repeated loss of capture may be associated with blanking period ventricular undersensing. The blanking period ventricular undersensing detection algorithm is therefore called upon at step 400.
If, however, stable atrial sensing is occurring, as determined at decision step 347, the automatic capture mode 320 may proceed by performing another threshold test and automatically adjusting ventricular stimulation pulse energy as necessary, at steps 350 and 355. During atrial sensing, no ventricular blanking period is generated so there is no need to proceed with the blanking period ventricular undersensing detection mode 400.
To summarize the operations depicted in
The details of the blanking period undersensing detection mode (or process) 400 will now be described in conjunction with
This ventricular blanking may be causing the ventricular channel to be "blinded" to a native depolarization that occurs within the blanking period. This phenomenon has been described as "blanking period ventricular undersensing" and is also termed "functional undersensing". The undetected native depolarization may be a normal R-wave following an undetected P-wave due to atrial undersensing, or it may be a junctional beat (e.g. a ventricular depolarization arising from the AV node of the heart's conduction system), or a ventricular ectopic beat. The latter two beats would not be preceded by an atrial depolarization at all.
In all three of these cases, however, a ventricular stimulation pulse delivered by the device 10 following the ventricular blanking period would be delivered during physiologic refractory and cause a ventricular loss of capture detection. It will be seen that the present invention provides a method to determine which, if any, of these three conditions is present and likely to be causing the apparent ventricular loss of capture.
Therefore, the first step 405 of the blanking period undersensing detection process 400 is to verify appropriate atrial sensing. At step 405, the operating mode of device 10 is temporarily changed from the programmed setting (normally DDD, dual chamber stimulation and sensing in a demand mode) to a dual chamber non-tracking mode, i.e. DDI[R]. In this DDI mode, the device 10 will still sense and stimulate in both the atrial and ventricular chambers of the heart, but a sensed R-wave will inhibit atrial stimulation, even if the atrial channel does not sense a native P-wave.
The rationale for changing to a non-tracking mode at step 405 can be explained as follows. If stable R-wave sensing occurs during the non-tracking stimulation mode, then atrial output will be inhibited every time an R-wave is sensed. If no atrial sensing precedes the sensed R-waves, then atrial undersensing is likely. This atrial undersensing during the previous normal operating mode 300 would have resulted in atrial stimulation, triggering regular ventricular blanking periods, which may have led to blanking period ventricular undersensing and the subsequent loss of capture detection.
After the temporary mode switch at step 405, the mode 400 determines if atrial stimulation is now inhibited by stable R-wave sensing at decision step 410, it being presumed that atrial sensing is still absent as determined at step 347 of
This presumed diagnosis of atrial undersensing is made at step 415. An automatic atrial sensitivity test is performed, and the atrial sensitivity setting is adjusted as necessary at step 420. The process 400 then calls upon the loss of capture diagnosis subroutine 500, as will be described later in conjunction with
If, at decision step 410, the atrial stimulation output is not inhibited by R-wave sensing, then the atrial escape interval is increased at step 425 to allow more time to sense the native cardiac rhythm. If atrial sensing is established at the reduced rate, as determined at decision step 427, then process 400 calls upon the loss of capture diagnosis subroutine 500.
If, however, atrial sensing is still not established at decision step 427, the atrial sensitivity is increased at step 430 by a predefined amount. At step 435, process 400 determines if atrial sensing now occurs at the reduced rate (i.e., at an increased atrial escape interval) and increased atrial sensitivity. If so, the loss of capture diagnosis subroutine 500 is called upon.
If atrial sensing still does not occur as determined at decision step 435, the atrial sensitivity is set to a maximum sensitivity at step 440. If atrial sensing is now established, as determined at decision step 445, process 400 calls upon subroutine 500 to diagnose the loss of ventricular capture. If atrial sensing still does not occur at decision step 445, a junctional rhythm is diagnosed at step 450.
A junctional rhythm arises from the AV node rather than the SA node of the heart's conduction system. Regular QRS complexes may occur but are not preceded by intrinsic atrial activity. During normal operation of device 10, the atrial channel will not sense an atrial event because no atrial event will be present and therefore deliver an atrial stimulation pulse. The atrial stimulation pulse may coincide with the onset of the native QRS but has not caused the ventricular depolarization. This phenomenon is known as a pseudopseudofusion complex. The atrial stimulation pulse will also trigger a ventricular blanking period, which may coincide with the native QRS complex arising from the junctional rhythm.
Therefore, at step 455, the programmed DDD operation mode of the device 10 is restored but at an increased base rate in order to avoid pseudopsuedofusion beats and to supercede the rate of the junctional rhythm. The blanking period undersensing detection process 400 is then terminated at step 460, and device 10 returns to the normal operating mode 300 but at the increased base rate.
Referring to
Once appropriate ventricular sensitivity has been reaffirmed, the base stimulation rate is reduced to a predefined rate below the normally programmed rate at step 507. The rhythm is then monitored at decision step 510 to determine if premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are detected.
When regular atrial and ventricular sensing (PR sensing) occurs with each sensed P-wave followed by one sensed R-wave, then premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) do not exist. However, if detected R-waves exist that are not preceded by an atrial event, knowing that appropriate atrial sensing has been established, the detected R-wave can be classified as a premature ventricular contraction or as a AV junctional beat.
If premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are not detected at decision step 510, then the subroutine 500 restores the programmed operating parameters (base rate and DDD mode) with the automatically adjusted sensitivity settings at step 530. The diagnosis of atrial undersensing made during process 400 (
If premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are detected at decision step 510, a preliminary diagnosis of blanking period ventricular undersensing of the premature ventricular contractions is made at step 535. The ventricular blanking period may be too long to allow adequate sensing of native ventricular depolarizations, therefore, at step 540, the ventricular blanking period is shortened.
The programmed base stimulation rate and pacing mode (e.g. DDD) are restored at step 545. The subroutine 500 then determines at decision step 550 if ventricular loss of capture detections reoccur with the next ventricular stimulation events following an atrial output. If ventricular loss of capture reoccurs following atrial output, the action of shortening the ventricular blanking period was not effective in preventing failure of ventricular sensing with the subsequent loss of capture associated with the ventricular output pulse. Therefore, the ventricular blanking period is restored to the previous setting at step 560.
If ventricular loss of capture does not reoccur at decision step 550, then the subroutine 500 verifies that crosstalk has not been introduced by the shortened ventricular blanking period at decision step 565. If the ventricular blanking interval has been made too short, the ventricular channel may incorrectly detect the afterpolarization signal associated with the atrial stimulation pulse as a ventricular event.
If crosstalk is occurring, it can be identified by setting a crosstalk detection window immediately following the shortened ventricular blanking period. If repeated event sensing by the ventricular sensing circuit 84 occurs during the crosstalk detection window, then the ventricular blanking period is considered too short to reliably prevent crosstalk. Thus, if crosstalk is identified at decision step 565, the ventricular blanking period is restored to its previous setting at step 560. If crosstalk is detected, the ventricular output pulse is the high output pulse associated with the back-up pulse rather than the lower output associated with the automatic capture algorithm. In the setting of crosstalk as recognized by the pacing system, the automatic capture algorithm is disabled for that one cycle.
Next, at decision step 570, the subroutine 500 determines if sustained atrial stimulation has returned at the restored base rate and stimulation mode. If atrial stimulation has returned, the loss of capture diagnosis of blanking period ventricular undersensing of premature ventricular contractions is confirmed at step 575. The normal operating parameters are restored at step 530 with the exception of any adjustments made to the atrial sensitivity, ventricular sensitivity and ventricular blanking period. The device 10 is thus returned to the normal operating mode 300 (
Hence, a diagnosis of functional undersensing of premature ventricular contractions has been made. If the shortened ventricular blanking period did not result in crosstalk at decision step 565, then the likelihood of functional undersensing has been successfully reduced. Hence, the likelihood of delivering a high-energy back up stimulation pulse during the T-wave has been reduced, improving the safety of the cardiac stimulation device 10.
If the shortened ventricular blanking period did result in crosstalk at decision step 565, such that the previous blanking period setting had to be restored (step 560), then no corrective action has been taken to reduce the likelihood of functional undersensing. However, the incidence of crosstalk is less desirable than functional undersensing. Crosstalk may result in asystole ("missed heartbeat") because ventricular stimulation will be withheld. Therefore, the elimination of crosstalk takes precedence over reducing the likelihood of functional undersensing by shortening the ventricular blanking period.
Referring to
If R-wave sensing is not established at the maximum ventricular sensitivity, the diagnosis of the loss of capture events due to undersensing is inconclusive. Therefore, all programmed settings are restored at step 590. The device 10 is returned to the automatic capture mode 320 of
Referring to
In the embodiment of
At step 610, the base rate is reduced to a predefined rate below the programmed rate. The device 10 will now be sensing in the atrium and either sensing or stimulating in the ventricle (VDD mode). In other terms, the rhythm will be either a PV rhythm or a PR rhythm. If a stable PR rhythm is predominate, as determined at decision step 612, blanking period ventricular undersensing is suspected. Stable R-wave sensing at a rate approximately equal to the previous atrial stimulation rate when ventricular loss of capture was detected would suggest that, during normal device operation, the ventricular blanking period induced by atrial stimulation caused functional undersensing, leading to repeated ventricular loss of capture. The programmed mode is restored at step 614 but at an adjusted base rate so that the native ventricular events do not coincide with the ventricular blanking period.
If, at decision step 612, ventricular stimulation is occurring such that the predominate rhythm identified is a PV rhythm, process 600 proceeds to decision step 625 to determine if ventricular capture is now occurring at the reduced base rate. If ventricular loss of capture persists, then the detected loss of capture may be the result of an actual rise in ventricular threshold. At step 620, the automatic capture mode 320 is called upon to proceed with a threshold test.
If, however, ventricular capture returns at decision step 615, a determination is made at decision step 625 as to whether the existing PV rhythm is approximately equal to the base rate. The ventricular output at the base rate in the VDD mode is equivalent to a VVI mode, where no atrial rhythm is sensed and the ventricle is stimulated at the base rate. If the ventricular stimulation at the base rate is occurring, then atrial undersensing is suspected as the root cause of the previous ventricular loss of capture detections. Atrial undersensing would induce sustained atrial stimulation during the normal DDD operating mode of device 10, thus inducing regular ventricular blanking periods possibly leading to functional undersensing and the delivery of a ventricular stimulation pulse during the physiologic refractory period.
Referring to
Referring back to
If, on the other hand, premature ventricular contractions are detected at decision step 640, particularly if they are occurring near the programmed base rate during which ventricular loss of capture first occurred, then blanking period ventricular undersensing of premature ventricular contractions is diagnosed at step 645 as the cause of the initial ventricular loss of capture. As a result, the ventricular blanking period is shortened by a predefined interval, at step 650.
At decision step 655, the process 600 verifies that the shortened blanking period did not introduce crosstalk. If crosstalk was introduced, the ventricular blanking period is increased by a predefined interval at step 660 until crosstalk is eliminated as determined by returning to decision step 655. The programmed mode and base rate are then restored at step 665 with the adjusted ventricular blanking period. The shortened ventricular blanking period is expected to reduce the occurrence of functional undersensing and thereby reduce the likelihood of T-wave stimulation, improving the safety of device 10. If the ventricular blanking period had to be extended back to the original setting in order to eliminate crosstalk, then functional undersensing may reoccur, however crosstalk is a less desirable situation.
Thus, a method has been described that detects the possibility of functional undersensing in response to repeated ventricular loss of capture detections. This method further provides a method of assessing whether functional or actual loss of sensing is present along with remedial adjustments of programmed operating parameters that will lessen the likelihood of functional or true undersensing from reoccurring. The cardiac stimulation device is improved by the disclosed method because the chances of inadvertent T-wave stimulation due to blanking period or other ventricular undersensing has been reduced, improving the overall safety of the cardiac stimulation device performance.
While detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been provided, it would be apparent to those reasonably skilled in the art that numerous variations of the methods disclosed are possible which would not deviate from the scope of the present invention. The descriptions provided herein, therefore, are for the sake of illustration and are not intended to be exclusive.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Feb 17, 1981
|Aug 30, 1983
|Medtronic, Inc.
|Prolongation of timing intervals in response to ectopic heart beats in atrial and ventricular pacemakers
|Feb 17, 1981
|Oct 4, 1983
|Medtronic, Inc.
|Atrial and ventricular-only pacemaker responsive to premature ventricular contractions
|Sep 25, 1985
|Dec 15, 1987
|Intermedics, Inc.
|Pacemaker and method for ventricular rate limit operation and termination of pacemaker mediated tachycardia
|Jun 19, 1987
|May 2, 1989
|Siemens-Pacesetter, Inc.
|Pacemaker having crosstalk protection feature
|Oct 23, 1989
|Nov 6, 1990
|Intermedics, Inc.
|Dual chamber pacemaker with adjustable blanking and V-A extension
|Oct 17, 1989
|Dec 4, 1990
|Siemens-Pacesetter, Inc.
|Automatically adjustable blanking period for implantable pacemaker
|Nov 20, 1995
|Jan 7, 1997
|Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc.
|Pacemaker with automatic blanking period function
|Feb 27, 1996
|Jul 7, 1998
|Pacesetter, Inc.
|System and method for alleviating the effects of pacemaker crosstalk
|Oct 18, 1996
|Jan 19, 1999
|Medtronic, Inc.
|Atrial and ventricular capture detection and threshold-seeking pacemaker
|Sep 15, 1998
|Oct 3, 2000
|Vitatron Medical, B.V.
|Pacemaker with automatically controlled ventricular safety pulse
|Dec 27, 2000
|Jun 1, 2005
|Pacesetter, Inc.
|Method for discriminating electrical events detected within the heart and corresponding system
|Dec 7, 1998
|Jun 24, 1999
|Medtronic, Inc.
|Four-chamber pacing system for optimizing cardiac output
|Levine, Paul A. MD et al., "Analysis of AV Universal (DDD) Pacemaker Rhythms," Clin Prog Pacing and Electrophysiol. 1984;2(1):54-70.
|Levine, Paul A. MD, "Normal and Abnormal Rhythms Associated with Dual-Chamber Pacemakers," Cardiology Clinics. 1985;3(4):595-616.
|NonFinal Office Action, mailed Mar. 15, 2004: Grandparent U.S. Appl. No. 09/973,300.
|NonFinal Office Action, mailed Oct. 19, 2007: Parent U.S. Appl. No. 10/900,834.
|Notice of Allowance, mailed Apr. 8, 2008: Parent U.S. Appl. No. 10/900,834.
|Notice of Allowance, mailed Jul. 14, 2004: Grandparent U.S. Appl. No. 09/973,300.
|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification


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Austin wins the Sanderson Farms Championship
In the final round of the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship, Woody Austin defeats Cameron Beckman and Daniel Summerhays in a playoff to claim his fourth win on the PGA TOUR.
© 1995-2017 PGA TOUR, Inc | All Rights Reserved.
PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks.
Web.com is also a registered trademark used here with permission, and used in the Web.com Tour logo with permission.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Designs by littlerhodydesign
Lori Craffey
Little Compton Rhode Island USA
Pattern design is my passion! I see pattern potential in all aspects of daily life. My biggest inspiration is my family. I am a Mom to three terrific and very creative boys. Please check out my work, and leave a note to tell me what you think! Enjoy!
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How to Write an Original Composition Essay?
29 January, 2014
Composition essay writing is one of the most popular writing tasks assigned to high school, college or university students. It can be pretty easy for you (in case you are OK with the writing and stuff), but there is a number of simple steps you need to take in order… Read More →


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June 27, Evening Forecast
Good Tuesday Evening!
EMTS needed in Claude
At the beginning of June, Claude Mayor Bill Wood decided to suspend the city's EMS.
Additional Cases of Human Plague Reported in New Mexico
With the addition of these cases, there have been three human plague cases from Santa Fe County in …
Music and Fireworks At The Lake
The free event is set for Monday, July 3rd.
Helping Establish a Permanent Endowment for WTAMU Amarillo Center
The WT Foundation and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum will host a re-creation of the …
Blood Drive for Coffee Memorial Blood Center
June is National Dairy Month, so we're told every donor will receive a coupon for a FREE gallon of …
One Man Arrested in Mistaken Identity & Incident Shooting
A man is arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after mistakenly identifying and …
Amarillo Branch NAACP Discusses Priorities in the Community
Several speakers from multiple backgrounds around the city came together to help solve some of …
Shots Fired in Curry County Leaves Child Injured
Deputies say the child was hit by debris after a bullet hit an outside wall of the residence.
NM Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Fallen Firefighter
Cammack was a volunteer firefighter from Nara Visa that died fighting a fire in Quay County last …
Clock Ticking on MPEV Construction
The project itself is budgeted for $45.5 million, but developers only have $40 million to construct…
Region 16 Employee Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
He was booked into the Randall County Jail.
Deaf Smith County Burn Ban Lifted
Remember, if you live in one of these counties, it's illegal to do any outdoor burning.
Man Involved in SWAT Incident Found Dead with Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
Officers say the man appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound. When swat entered the home …
Canyon Farmers Market Set to Open This Saturday
The Canyon Farmers Market is located on the South side of the Historic 1909 Randall County …
Avg. Amarillo Gas Price Drops to $1.89/g
Including the change in gas prices in Amarillo during the past week, prices yesterday were 13.5 …
Train on Fire Going Down Track in Eastern New Mexico
A BNSF engine caught on fire while going down the track Monday west of Cannon Air Force Base.
APD: Man Involved in SWAT Incident Found Home with Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
Police say the man involved in a SWAT incident is found in the home with a self-inflicted gunshot …
New Amarillo Driver License Office Officially Opens Today
The new driver license office officially opened today at 7:30 a.m. and it's located at 6592 East …
Heart of the High Plains: 4th of July in Amarillo
The Fourth of July may be celebrated a little early this year in Amarillo, but it will bring a lot …
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Prada is selling a paper clip for $185, and people aren't taking it well
With a spare $185 laying around and a serious lack of creativity, anyone can waltz into Office …
Alton Sterling's children sue Baton Rouge police over his death
Alton Sterling's five children have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming their father's fatal …
No Vote On Health Care Bill
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delays vote on Republican health care bill in face of firm …
Twitter hires new head of diversity
Twitter has a new head of diversity.
Have A Blast, But Don't Get Burned
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Snapchat Map Safety
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Bill Cosby says he isn't planning a 'sexual assault tour'
Bill Cosby is not planning to hold a "sexual assault tour," the comedian said in a statement on …
Have oil prices stopped plunging?
Just six months ago, many on Wall Street thought $60 oil was a slam dunk. That turned out to be a …
Chaffetz proposes $2,500 housing stipend for members of Congress
Rep. Jason Chaffetz thinks members of Congress should receive a housing stipend, saying in an …
Three Chicago officers indicted in Laquan McDonald case
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House budget deal held up on mandatory spending snag
The House budget committee is putting its budget markup on hold as conservatives and moderates in …
Harlem residents outraged by attempt to rename neighborhood
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New Jersey rabbi among those accused of welfare fraud
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Pence makes last-minute health care push
Vice President Mike Pence is taking his health care pitch on the road in a last-minute effort to …
McConnell delays vote on health care bill until after July 4 recess
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will delay the vote on the Republican leadership's health …
Illinois could soon become America's first 'junk' state
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Remains of kidnapped Mexican journalist found
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Facebook hits 2 billion monthly users
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Massive cyberattack targets Europe, US
Hackers launched blistering attacks Tuesday against companies and agencies across the world.
Hillary Clinton hits Trump's budget cuts to libraries, arts
Hillary Clinton told librarians Tuesday that they are on the front lines of "the fight to defend …
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Bill Cosby says he isn't planning a 'sexual assault tour'
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Serena Williams on becoming a mom: 'It just doesn't seem real'
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Syfy eyes 'Tremors' TV series starring Kevin Bacon
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Musical chairs: Pandora CEO steps down
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Alec Baldwin will return to 'SNL' as Donald Trump
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Three journalists leave CNN after retracted article
Three CNN journalists, including the executive editor in charge of a new investigative unit, have …
Take the cover song quiz!
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Birthday quiz: Spider-cake
Today's cake might have webbed frosting.
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Loren Janes, acclaimed Hollywood stuntman, dies at 85
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'Veep' finale circles back to the campaign trail
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BET Awards 2017: Biggest moments from the show
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Weekly current events quiz 6/26
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Birthday quiz: Wicked cake
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'Harry Potter' turns 20
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Make the most of the great outdoors. Stay warm in a waterproof jackets, get a good grip in sturdy walking shoes & stay comfy in our great fitting jeans!
45 Items Found for Shorter Lengths
Premier Man Thermal Lined Trousers 29in
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text:
Quote, originally posted by SaintVR6 » BUMP
Quote, originally posted by SaintVR6 » BUMP
thanks TurboXpert......
The weels are called TSW Heats.
on a nice rip home downthe back roads mt battery came loose and smashed my power steering box, spilling alll the fluid out
so i epoxy'D it and i'll put it back together just before work
put some fog lights behind my grill today where no one wil see them and put in a large 140 DM horn in also
so now all those bad drivers i run in to better beware
I kicked it as I walked by on the way to get more beer.
Finished the wiring, put in mk3 dash, tweaked the SDS a little bit.
put some clear turnsignals on, pondered taking off my fender to pop a dent and decided it would be fun for no reason whatsoever take apart my drivers side door panel. It was fun, and is back together now.
I called around trying to find someone to do my head gasket.
I put some "Just Married" stickers on her, and a nice wash for the old girl. I won't be cruisin anywhere this weekend. I'M GETTIN MARRIED IN LESS THAN 5 HOURS!!!!!!
PPL Stop messaging me about the BBS Steering wheel. if you read the threads, it sold over 2 yrs ago.
Looking for an aircooled beetle or bus, type 1 or 2, running engine, but cosmetic condition is unimportant. email firstname.lastname@example.com if you have one for sale.
put the Helios BBS on [IMG]http://*****************.com/smile/emthup.gif[/IMG]
others are in restoration...
i kicked mine a couple times and then drove on some twisty roads...and then apologized for kicking it earlier
Quote, originally posted by Quest_the_Chemist » I put some "Just Married" stickers on her, and a nice wash for the old girl. I won't be cruisin anywhere this weekend. I'M GETTIN MARRIED IN LESS THAN 5 HOURS!!!!!!
congrats! thats the last p*ssy your gonna tap for the rest of your life!
Since I don't own a mk2, I'll tell you what I did to a buddy's mk2.
I removed rust from the engine bay (Battery floor) and welded in new plates.
And removed a lot of seam sealer from the bay... then we shaved the fuel hatch.
went out at 7:00AM to put in my oil pressure and volt gauges and finish up all the little things from my motor rebuild, i'm still not done with gauges...
did this.....
yeah...i killed that crub
got my alignment done and correcfted and got my ball joints replaced. handles and drives much better
It's a car, it's meant to be ****in driven. ~ elijah-
She got naked in front of my v70 .. lost a fender here a bumper there.. all for good reason.. My little girl is going through some changes.
sold it
took out the intake and exahaust manifolds, the pulleys, alternator, ps pump, brackets, ac compressor, radiator. basicly it's ready for an engine swap.
all that's remaining is to take off the tranny bolts and 3 more engine mount bolts and it will just slide right out. [IMG]http://*****************.com/smile/emthup.gif[/IMG]
swor at it then left.
i went in my garage and looked at the rust in the floor and turned around and went back inside
Quote, originally posted by 88mkIIGOLF » i went in my garage and looked at the rust in the floor and turned around and went back inside
a man who thinks like me.
Tuned my amp so now the speaker don't sound like crap.
Gave mine a hug and then gutted the coolant system. Pulled the radiator out, hoses, and airconditioning condensor. Replacing everything.


text:
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BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
The Electric Light Orchestra were one of the biggest and most successful bands of the late 1970s, producing a massive string of hit singles and albums that almost any other band would envy. Their works have been cited as influences by such hip acts as Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals. Their frontman and leader Jeff Lynne has been the producer of choice for people like Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and George Harrison. From "Evil Woman", "Don''t Bring Me Down" and "Mr Blue Sky" to "Livin'' Thing" and "Hold On Tight", there are few duds amongst these 20 remastered tracks. ELO produced some of the biggest and best singles in rock & roll''s history, and All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO is an excellent reintroduction to this great band. Hopefully, this also signals the beginning of a long-overdue revival and re-evaluation. --Robert Burrow


text:
Espinoza signs Rodriguez
Boxing manager, Frank Espinoza, has just announced the signing of Greeley, Colorado based light-weight Robert Rodriguez (7-1, 3 KO's) to a multi year contract. Rodriguez is best known for his third round knockout of the durable Fernando Carcamo which happened on August third. "I'm looking forward to knocking all my future opponents out," said Rodriguez. "I'm excited to be a part of Frank's stable. I want to be one his next world champions."
"I like what I see in Robert," stated Espinoza of the 22 year old who had over 200 bouts as an amateur. "He has a style that the fans will love. He's very skilled and aggressive. "
Rodriguez will be part of Espinoza's growing stable that includes world champion Abner Mares, Daniel Ponce De Leon and several undefeated prospects including Luis Ramos, Carlos Molina, Ronny Rios, Antonio Orozco, Abraham Lopez and Joet Gonzalez.


text:
Drawing Voting Lines
Published July 13th, 2011
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State leadership dominated by republicans descended on the heavily- democratic city of Gainesville Wednesday evening to present early plans for setting up new voting districts. Every 10 years, voting districts are re-drawn to reflect population changes but the process is often used to favor the political party in power. 2 constitutional amendments approved by voters in November were designed to limit that. At that public hearing, state politicians were told to stick to those plans.
For a full report, watch the video on the right side of this page.
Related Stories
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- Longest-running Art Festival Continues to Draw Crowds
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- As Fourth of July Draws Closer, Firework Safety Remains a Concern


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Ripping Problem
Posted 26 February 2012 - 04:38 PM
Posted 26 February 2012 - 04:43 PM
I just downloaded Roxio (basic) and tried to rip a CD to my PC. It ripped the tracks but refers to the title as unkown. I tried a second CD and the same thing. Any thoughts on how I can resolve this? Also if I just want to rip music to my Windows Media Player do I need to use Roxio?
First you post in General Chat!
For all chat not related to CD/DVD burning software. No Roxio discussion here! Chat about anything in life that interests you or just stop by to say hi. Posts that do not belong here will be removed.
You mention a Roxio (basic) you just download, from where?
What is the real name and version # of the software because there is no basic to download!
No one can help if you don't post enough information to trouble shoot.
I'm just a fellow user so please don't blame Roxio for any misguidance I may have provided.
My Computer Specs click show.
1.Click here Beginners Guide - Blank DVD Media Type Definitions & What A Firmware Upgrade Is for Your Burner.
2.Click here Firmware HQ - site dedicated to providing you with the latest firmware releases for your optical disc drives.
3.Click here CD-DVD Speed
4.Click here CD-DVD Speed - A user guide
5.Click here Enabling/Checking DMA in Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Me, 9x.
6.Click hereYou can no longer access the CD drive or the DVD drive.
7.Click here Drive Not Recognized By Roxio, PX Engine 3_00_58a. Old Version<-> EMC 7.5 Up PX Engine 4.18.16a. Update .Click here PX Engine Fix, Click here The Latest 4.10.28a Click here
8.Click here How to uninstall IE 7 and WMP 11.
9.Click here ImgBurn Current version: v18.104.22.168 (3,389 KB) CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu-ray burning application
10.Click here InfoTool (Drive, Disk, Configuration, Software, Hardware, DMA settings, etc.).
11.Click here Complete Uninstall of Creator 2011 & Creator 2012
12.Click here Complete Uninstall of Creator 2009 and 2010 (Windows Vista and 7)
13.Click here Complete Uninstall of Creator 2009 and 2010 (Windows XP)
14.Click here Complete Uninstall of Easy Media Creator 9 & 10 on Windows Vista
15.Click here Complete Uninstall of Easy Media Creator 7.5, 8, 9, & 10 on Windows XP
16. Click here WinZip Data Compression Utility <> Click here WinRAR Data Compression Utility Click here 7-Zip Data Compression Utility
17. Click here Finding Your Computer Specs And Roxio Software Version Number.
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Do not post your email address on any public forum!
Posted 26 February 2012 - 05:12 PM
It doesn't do as good of a job but it will work.
"Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel,
Like I been tied to the whippin' post.
Tied to the whippin' post, tied to the whippin' post.
Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin'."
64 bitWindows 10 OS
AMD FX-8320 8 core 3.5Ghz processor with Arctic Freezer 64 Pro cooling fan
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 AM3+ motherboard
Galaxy GeForce GTX 550 Ti video card with 1Gb memory
8Gb G Skill Ripjaws Series DDR3 1600 RAM
120GB OCZ Vertex 3 SSD drive
1Tb Hitachi SATA hard drive
LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray drive
Lite-On iHAS224-06 SATA DVD drive
Rosewill Destroyer case
Cambridge Soundworks THX 5.1 speaker system
Onboard Realtek HD audio
I-inc iH-252HPB 25" widescreen monitor connected via HDMI
Brother HL-L2380DW Laser Printer
Posted 26 February 2012 - 05:34 PM
First you post in General Chat!
You mention a Roxio (basic) you just download, from where?
What is the real name and version # of the software because there is no basic to download!
No one can help if you don't post enough information to trouble shoot.
Sorry I thought I was in general chat. Roxio just appeared when I inserted the CD so I Googled it and seemed appropriate, but now I think I don't need it. I'm quite new to all of this so apologize for not having the forum etiquette down.
Posted 26 February 2012 - 05:40 PM
The answer to your 2nd question is no,you can rip tracks with WMP by itself.
It doesn't do as good of a job but it will work.
Thank you. Take it you would recommend staying with it then? I'm not opposed at all just trying to figure this out as I have little experience with this.
Posted 26 February 2012 - 06:01 PM
Thank you. Take it you would recommend staying with it then? I'm not opposed at all just trying to figure this out as I have little experience with this.
We can't recommend staying with 'it' until you tell us what 'it' is, nor can we tell you how to fix your problem - name and version number of the software, please.
P4 @3.20GHz on Albatron PX-865PE Pro II with 2GB DDR-SDRAM, FX5900XT video, Viewsonic monitors,
2 x DVDRW IDE 16X, in Windows XP, 7, and 8.
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Garden Color - Door County Plein Air
painting by artist Laurel Daniel
9 in X 12 in (22.9 cm X 30.5 cm)
oil on panel, L
This painting is already sold. However, I may have other paintings available.
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Now there is all sorts of vegan milk alternatives. Soy milk is good to have in porridge, etc. but unusable in tea or coffee. Today I tried rice milk for the first time. It is actually nice in taste and works well when added to tea. It surely needs further testing. If I'd only find a way around my yogurt consumption...
For a gluten free flour alternative, I bought some chickpea flour. I had bought it before, but abandoned it in my pantry, because I didn't really know what to do with it. I have been a big fan of pulses for a long time. The nutritional values of legumes like chickpeas are well known: low GI, good source of proteins and dietary fiber. And gluten free.
hummus to dip, and thought it might be a bit to much chickpea in one go: chickpea crackers with chickpea dip? But it turned out a great combination. Any light dip will work well with these crackers: salsa or herbed yogurt (if you are not on a dairy-free diet) will fit the bill.
It is most important to roll out the crackers as thin as possible. If you leave them to thick, they won't get crunchy, but this is what's most important with the crackers. Like the name says.....
Preheat oven to 175C/375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine chickpea flour, salt, mustard seeds and garlic. Add oil and water and mix until dough is formed. Add more water if dough seems to dry, or more flour if it seems to wet. Form into a disc.
Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough evenly and as thin as possible, to 1/8 inch thickness. With a knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes. Poke each cracker with a fork to prevent puffing. Transfer onto baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges turn golden.


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UPDATE: Stolen network equipment causes Vodafone UK network outage
The theft of specialist equipment has prevented thousands of users from accessing the Vodafone network.
This Article Covers
The theft of specialist equipment has prevented thousands of users from accessing the Vodafone network.
Overnight, thieves stole specialist network equipment and IT hardware after breaking down a door at the Vodafone exchange facility in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
How to lead your organisation through Brexit
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The damage has left thousands of Vodafone users unable to make calls or send text messages since the early hours of the morning.
A Vodafone spokesman anticipates "several hundred thousand" users have been affected in the "M4 corridor area".
Internet forums and social networking sites are flooded with complaints as users have been unable to use Vodafone's network for hours.
The spokesman confirmed 2G and 3G voice services have been restored but Vodafone is still working to restore voice-mail and SMS services.
Enjoy the benefits of CW+ membership, learn more and join.


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"If I was hiring the president of IBM he would be hired already. It doesn't take that much time to hire a national team coach. ... The program has not moved forward as much as it should because of that [delay], so that's what I'm critical of. I invested eight years into that thing and, despite the results of the last World Cup, we had a steady climb and it has to keep going that way, and it doesn't move forward the way it can when there's so much in doubt. ... In the history of the world, I don't think it's taken that long to hire a national team coach."
-- Bruce Arena, who
was fired as U.S. head coach last July. Bob Bradley was named interim head coach in December. Bradley has since guided the USA to a 3-1 win over Denmark and a 2-0 win over Mexico in his first
two games. (Newark Star-Ledger)


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Thompson is due to stand down as chief executive in April 2003 after 20 years at the helm of Rentokil. He was already lined up to become non-executive chairman at that time. Rentokil first missed its historic 20% growth in earnings target two years ago.
King, who was a lawyer and chaired City legal firm Denton Hall for four years ahead of its merger with Wilde Sapt, had been heading the search for Thompson's day-to-day successor. He was chairman of the firm's nomination committee. Headhunters have been appointed to find a new chief executive. King was formerly chairman of City Centre Restaurants and a director of TotalFinaElf UK.
- More about:
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Life in Leeds
Culture, Shopping and Nightlife
Vibrant city
You name it, Leeds probably has it. With its vast open spaces, array of local attractions and vibrant music, culture and sporting scenes it's no surprise why many of our students decide to make it their home for life. Whatever you want from your university experience, you'll find it in Leeds.
Our city comes to life at night – we have bars, clubs and pubs to suit all genres and budgets. In fact, Leeds is one of the UK's best cities for nightlife. If you fancy a big night out, you couldn't come to a better place.
From Leeds Festival to Leeds Arena – our new 13,500 capacity venue for live music – we have venues and nightclubs to suit all tastes. You'll be spoilt for choice if music is your passion.
The O2 Academy hosts names such as Rita Ora, Alt-J and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. From emo and R&B, to pop and rock, you're sure to find something you'll love at one of our gig hot-spots, such as Brudenell Social Club and our very own Student Union venue.
Shop 'til you drop
If you love shopping, you're in the right place. Leeds is one of largest shopping locations in the UK, boasting 957 retail outlets in the city centre – with historic arcades, the Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Market and Trinity Leeds, alongside unique local and retro shops, Leeds truly is a shoppers' paradise.
Enjoy a show, head for one of our galleries or museums, or laugh the night away at a comedy club. There's also a huge selection of cinemas to choose from, and our very own International Film Festival.
If you're in the mood for a performance, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds Grand Theatre and Northern Ballet are a great place to start.
For more information on all things cultural in Leeds, take a look at Leeds Inspired.
Food lovers
Tuck into whatever takes your fancy – Italian, Japanese, Mexican, South Asian spices or traditional British flavours – there are hundreds of food outlets to choose from. And, if that isn't enough, we've also got an annual food festival.


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He admitted Deutsche Bank "made errors during this crisis" during an interview on ZDF Television.
Deutsche Bank shares closed 2.9% lower, the second biggest faller on the Dax.
Mr Ackermann did not say how much the crisis would cost, but warned he would probably not go ahead with plans to hire an extra 4,000 staff this year.
He said that 29bn euros ($41bn; £20bn) worth of credit agreements for big acquisitions have to be reconsidered.
Bailed out
German banks have been among the worst hit by exposure to debt backed by sub-prime mortgages from the US.
Sub-prime mortgages are offered to people with low incomes or inferior credit records.
Two German banks, IKB and SachsenLB, had to be bailed out because they held too much of such debt.
Last month, Deutsche Bank was one of the banks that borrowed money directly from the US Federal Reserve at a newly lowered rate designed to help institutions that were short of liquidity.
What are these?
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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Canadian dollar trickles lower in quiet session
By Frank Pingue
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar closed slightly lower versus the U.S. dollar in a lackluster session given the absence of any domestic data and hesitation ahead of a rate decision by the Federal Reserve due later this week.
Domestic bond prices finished mostly flat across the curve after a rally last week and ahead of U.S. data this week that could come in below expectations.
The Canadian dollar closed at C$1.0158 to the U.S. dollar, or 98.44 U.S. cents, down from C$1.0170 to the U.S. dollar, or 98.33 U.S. cents, at Friday's close.
The domestic currency stayed in a relatively narrow range all session, which is likely to be the case for the rest of the week, as there are no key economic releases that have the muscle to trigger a move.
"Certainly for the most part the lack of data in Canada is going to probably suggest at first blush that the currency is going to be rangebound this week," said Jack Spitz, managing director of foreign exchange at National Bank Financial.
"We're seeing a consolidative, congestive move in the Canadian dollar, which is still being torn between rising crude prices against the backdrop of a rising U.S. dollar today."
Spitz also said the Fed's rate announcement on Wednesday, and even more its communique, could be a catalyst for a move in the U.S. dollar and by default, the Canadian dollar.
The Fed is widely expected to hold its key rate steady at 2 percent, but the market will be watching more to see if the central bank shifts its bias to monetary tightening as it seeks to rein in inflation. Continued...


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What keeps you awake at night? For most adults, it's the fear they will outlive their money. The transition from regular paychecks to full-blown retirement can be downright scary. With traditional pensions going the way of the Model T, and the Social Security platform growing rickety, most of us will need ways to generate a predictable, sustainable income that is guaranteed for life.
Enter the variable annuity. Because so much has been written about the negatives of variable annuities, we may get a lot of flack for writing this: Annuities can be very useful in the right circumstances. There, we've said it.
Once maligned because of high costs and withdrawal penalties, the newest versions of variable annuities offer riders that provide guaranteed income for life, just like pensions. That makes them very attractive to those seeking stability in a sea of stock market volatility. Even Fed Chief Ben Bernanke disclosed last year that two of his biggest assets are annuities.
Part of the reason that variable annuities have gotten a bad rap is because they have been indiscriminately foisted on the elderly by commission-hungry unscrupulous financial sharks. Because hefty surrender charges apply if you take the money out too soon, consider variable annuities only for long-term needs. If you cannot afford to keep a variable annuity for at least 10 years, it's probably best to consider another investment.
Variable annuities are more costly than most mutual funds, but they offer value that mutual funds do not. In addition to income guarantees, they have death benefits, creditor protection, and reduced transaction costs. The wide variety of available features vary from company to company, so be sure you read the prospectus carefully to determine the features of the annuity you are considering and the attendant costs.
In addition to long-standing arguments against variable annuities because of their cost, surrender charges, and a 10% IRS penalty on withdrawals made prior to age 59 ½, some critics protest that using IRA funds to buy variable annuities is redundant because they both contain tax-deferral benefits. But since there is no charge for the tax-deferred feature of a variable annuity, why not put one in an IRA? As a matter of fact, the "downside protection" features are a great reason to do just that. We pay for insurance on our cars, our homes and our health, so doesn't it make sense to insure some of our retirement nest egg as well?


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Sponsor Animal Update: Alfredo
« Back to Alfredo's page
3rd Quarter 2013
Alfredo had his summer haircut! He likes prancing about with his fancy new hairdo and all the resulting attention he gets. He loves spending more time outside, walking about the neighborhood and meeting other dog friends here and there! For the most part, he is in great health with no seizures since Christmas Eve 2011! Because of this, Alfredo gets to take a little less medicine than before, which he does not mind at all. Alfredo is as sweet as ever towards his family, and helped them welcome some house guests with graciousness and the best of host etiquette!
More Updates on Alfredo
Animal League: Sponsor profile for 3rd Quarter 2013 | The world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption shelter


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Quote:Greetings to all.....I have attended my first two lessons in Aikido and all I can say is WOW. I was looking for a hobby now that football is over and I found it. At 35, I feel like I am starting at the right time. I just have to lose my football build and work on the more sleek Aikido build! HA HA HA...So MUCH to learn. It is definitely exciting.peace,Chris
Quote:Most "brawls" start even before this....
Artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom missing since WWII.
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Book presents photo tour of the Trans-Allegany Lunatic Asylum. A must if you're going to take a ghost tour!


text: Lady Liberty and St. Elizabeth Have This In Common Posted July 4, 2016 by Cecilia Pigg Today, Americans celebrate Independence Day. But today, American Catholics and Catholics all over the world also celebrate the feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal. Who is she? And what does she… Read More 9 14


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SailNet Community (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/)
- C400 (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/c400/)
- - C400 Association and List (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/c400/56496-c400-association-list.html)
C400 Association and List
Hi -
My name is Ron Marcuse, former owner of #74 "Good Vibrations". I started the C400 Association about 13 years ago and was the commodore for 9 or 10 of them. I put a lot of work into it and I'd like to see it return to it's former status (glory?). It's been somewhat stagnant for the last 2 to 3 years. I've spoken to the new Commodore, Frank Falcone (he recently took it over) and the current treasurer - they both agree. I'd like to make the following suggestions to all of the owners -
1) Get everyone together on one forum. I think Yahoo has the most users, so that's probably the best bet for a start. This one hasn't had a post in 7 months. Eventually have the association sponsor a dedicated C400 forum and web site with member sections, documentation, compilations of tech artcles, etc.
2) Someone has to write some material for Mainsheet. Most of the issues do not even have a C400 section anymore. Are Thom and Doug still the editors?
3) Get the association to start doing things for it's members again. Besides Mainsheet: - The Boat/US affiliation seems to have vanished with it's savings on memberships. There have been no group purchases of anything - hats, t-shirts, canvas bags, boat equipment and hardware, scale models and half-hulls of the boats, etc. The association had also been in a position to watch out for problems which would effect the boats and owners - and to stand up for them. Anyone remember the Westerbeke installation fiasco which damaged maybe half of the motors? Absolutely nothing was wrong with the engines themselves - anything would have failed under those circumstances (over 10 psi of exhaust back-pressure, etc.). Guess who determined what the problem was and then got the word out? (hint - it wasn't Westerbeke or Catalina).
I don't have the boat any longer, but I'd be happy to help out the officers to get this back to the way it was.
When people get frustrated about the lack of articles in Tech, I will ask them how many they have submitted. No one wants to take the time. That is fine. I just got tired of writing EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE myself and about my boat. And let's not pretend I did not try. I changed the format. I tried to focus on cruising, non-cruising, anything and everything, etc. At the end, I was asking someone to just send me an article on how they decorate their boat for God's sakes. Nothing. SO I focused my time on Sailnet where at least I am not talking to myself and can reach out and help a multitude of people. And in doing so, I have spoken (and sold) may C400's here and made much more of an impact that I would have with Mainsheet.
You put in your time. I appreciate that. I did too and am happy to put in more. And anytime anyone ever sends me a PM or calls or emails (and I have had quite a few), I reply promptly. But at some point I get tired of begging people to send me something and get tired of being the ONLY person that participates. What was it you said as your last words to me... "I hope you get more support than I did." THose were your exact words. I wrote them down.
If anyone feels that they would like to take over the Tech Editor - that is fine by me. I just hope they have a lot of stuff on their boat to talk about and a great imgaination. Better yet, how about sending me an article or two and I will promptly put it in Mainsheet (assuming it is technically correct). Outside of that, I simply do not know what else to do to get tech articles and poor Doug et all probably ran out of imagination too. It is not the officers that are the issue. It is the TOTAL lack of participation of the 345 other owners. Sound familiar??
Now, as far as getting it back on track (and responding to your points above)-
1) I am the admin and moderator of Sailnet. I can make this site an outstanding resource for 400 owners (and in fact, non-400 owners too). There is more information here than you could ever cover in a Yahoo and will get participation on issues from members that are not 400 owners. So my strong suggestion is to use this forum because the resources are vast and I can play an intricle part in making anything better or different. I hav emore flexibility here than anything on a Yahoo. I can add everything including all the old tech articles here, and add other forums as necessary, pictures, etc. The question is how to reach the other 400 members to get them involved?
2) Regarding writing the material: I think I coverd the issues with that earlier. We need some participation from the other 345 members. If I can take hours away from my company, employees, family, and life, other members can take 5 minutes to send me something I would hope. If not, then don't complain.
3) I can also do some Sailnet related things here and might be able to work out some deals with the store. In fact, I am about certain that I can. We can certainly do things that make marine items WAY cheaper then going into West Marine. Other ideas are setting up local fleets and commodores over those fleets that can play more of a leadership role. We can then work with the commodores and the owners would feel more of a direct relationship with people they know. We have, on Texoma alone, at least 6 C400's - with 3 just in my Marina.
Thosse are some of my ideas. Frank is more than welcome to join and discuss. So are you. I will also reach out to Frank and see if I can connect with him.
Brian -
I suggested Yahoo because there seems to be more activity there, and more members. I think the Yahoo C400 forum had 34 posts in the last week, which I think is 34 more than this one. Any forum would work, and better still would be one sponsored and run by the association.
I know exactly what you are saying. I went through it for about 10 years. I sail with Frank and Dave a lot and I think they would like to get this thing back on track.
Ron Marcuse
former owner #74 "Good Vibrations"
Brian -
I posted a note on the Yahoo C400 board concerning consolidating everything here at Sailnet. Reaction so far has been negative to coming back - they want emails, daily summaries, not having to log in somewhere, and no advertising. If you are not a member there, try joining and see what's happening. I believe that about 40 owners are there, doing about 30 to 40 messages a week. The goal should be to get everyone on a forum sponsored and run by the association, but that could take some time to do.
The 16 month old old Telstar Association is doing just that and it's been a big hit. We're using phpBB as our bulletin board, and it's free. We have to pay for a server somewhere, that's all. We run it and we control it. Take a look if you have the time - The International Telstar Owners Association • Index page.
Guess who is the Commodore? But I gave myself a 2 or 3 year term limit this time.
Ron Marcuse
former #74 "Good Vibrations"
Brian, et. al. -
I had posted similar notes 4 or 5 days ago about using a single forum on both sites - on both Yahoo and Sailnet. I got about 10 returns from the Yahoo one, absolutely nothing here. Note that ALL of the Yahoo messages were opposed to moving to Sailnet - primarily because you have to login here to see what's happening. If anyone is still here they should try out yahoo because that's where most of the owners are - about 40 as I recall, with maybe 35 to 40 messages a week being passed back and forth.
The goal should be to develop something under the control of the Association, tailered to the boat - with both public and member areas, etc., and linked to the website if that still exists.
My only goal is to bring back what seems to be a dying C400 Association. I spent thousands of hours doing this and it would be a shame to see it fall totally apart.
Ron Marcuse
former Commodore - 1996 to 2005
I second the use of the Yahoo group.
The yahoo group seem to be relatively active with quick response times.
In fact I posted a question this morning and got a reply within minutes.
Regarding posting here versus Yahoo - the reason that you get the responses there versus here is that there are so many more people already there. That does not make it the best place for it to be though. I will venture to say that MANY of the questions (if not most) that are posted for a Catalina 400 are relevant for almost any and every boat. We all use the same systems. I agree, the 400 has many boat specific questions, but many are not. As such, by being on an open forum with thousands of Non-C400 owners, you can get collective responses from people that know a lot more about boats and cruising than you and me put together. That is the benefit of an open forum versus a closed, c400 only forum. Also, if you google questions you will see that Sailnet pops up almost immediately in most google searches. For example, I just chose a random search on Catalina 400 Power useage and Sailnet pops up first. Same thing with Batteries. And if it is automated replies you want to alert you of a thread, you can turn that on at Sailnet. It is under your CP settings. It is generally left off at signup as many people do not want it and want to come at their leisure.
So our goal is not to support the 40 members at Yahoo, it is to support all members in the best possible way. I have not tried to bring anyone over to Sailnet - but we need more than 40 people to make the association viable. But 40 is better than zero here, and I understand that. I am simply providing another viewpoint.
On a more persona note for me, I may have difficulty keeping up with a lot of different sites. I have already basically dropped Cruiser Forum (where I was pretty active), SSCA, and some others. I simply did not have the time. I will try to make time for Yahoo if that is what all the other members want. I do not consider my vote to be weighed any more than anyone elses. I am simply giving reasons why I am saying what I am saying.
No matter the forum, I am dealing with kidney stones and will not be real available for anything or anyone for the next couple of weeks. I will try and jump over to the yahoo group though and see what is happening.
PS I also think a lot of people left the Sailnet forum stuff because they got pissed about how Sailnet closed it down.
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