Electrical muscle controller

• US 20020052632A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impulse Dynamics NV
• Original Assignee: Impulse Dynamics NV
• Inventors: Ben-Haim, Shlomo, Darvish, Nissim, Fenster, Maier
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00247 Making holes in the wall of the heart, e.g. laser Myocardial revascularization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0243 for immobilizing local areas of the heart, e.g. while it beats trocars attached to inner organs or inner body tissue A61B2017/3488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00392 Transmyocardial revascularisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6856 with a distal loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6859 with multiple distal splines
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 : Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 : for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3628 : using sub-threshold or non-excitatory signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36514 : controlled by a physiological quantity other than heart potential, e.g. blood pressure controlled by two or more physical parameters A61N1/36585
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36557 : controlled by chemical substances in blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36564 : controlled by blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36578 : controlled by mechanical motion of the heart wall, e.g. measured by an accelerometer or microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 : comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence

Abstract

A method of modifying the force of contraction of at least a portion of a heart chamber, including providing a subject having a heart, comprising at least a portion having an activation, and applying a non-excitatory electric field having a given duration, at a delay after the activation, to the portion, which causes the force of contraction to be increased by at least 5%.

Claims

1. A method of modifying the activity of the heart, or of a portion thereof, comprising applying to said heart, or portion thereof a non-excitatory electric field of a magnitude, shape, duty cycle, phase, frequency and duration suitable to obtain the desired change, wherein said field is applied at a time such as to be unable to generate a propagating action potential.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the heart to which the non-excitatory field is applied is a heart chamber.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the non-excitatory electric field comprises an alternated current electric field.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the non-excitatory electric field has a temporal envelope selected from exponential temporal envelope, sinusoidal temporal envelope, square temporal envelope, triangular temporal envelope, ramped temporal envelope, sawtooth temporal envelope and biphasic temporal envelope.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired change is an increase of the force of contraction of said heart, heart chamber or portion thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired change is an increase of the stroke volume of a chamber of the heart.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired change is an increase of the output flow of a chamber of the heart.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the desired change is a change in pressure.