Intermittent stress augmentation pacing for cardioprotective effect

• US 20060149326A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Spinelli, Julio C., Pastore, Joseph M., Cornelussen, Richard, Prinzen, Frits, Vanagt, Ward
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3622 comprising two or more electrodes co-operating with different heart regions

Abstract

A device and method for delivering electrical stimulation to the heart in a manner which provides a protective effect against subsequent ischemia is disclosed. The protective effect is produced by configuring a cardiac pacing device to intermittently switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode in which the spatial pattern of depolarization is varied to thereby subject a particular region or regions of the ventricular myocardium to increased mechanical stress.

Claims

1. A cardiac rhythm management device, comprising:

a pacing channel for delivering pacing pulses to a selected ventricular myocardial site;

a controller for controlling the delivery of pacing pulses in accordance with a programmed pacing mode;

wherein the controller is programmed to intermittently switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode in which a particular region or regions of the ventricular myocardium are subjected to increased mechanical stress as compared with the stress experienced by those regions during the normal operating mode.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the normal operating mode is a primary pacing mode for delivering ventricular pacing therapy and wherein stress augmentation mode causes a different depolarization pattern than the primary pacing mode.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the stress augmentation mode excites the ventricular myocardium at a site or sites different from the primary pacing mode.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching form bipolar pacing to unipolar pacing or vice-versa.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching which electrode of a bipolar pacing lead is the cathode and which electrode is the anode.

6. The device of claim 2 further comprising:

multiple pacing channels for delivering pacing pulses to a plurality of ventricular pacing sites; and

,

wherein the stress augmentation mode uses at least one pacing channel not used in the primary pacing mode.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching from left ventricle-only pacing to right ventricular pacing or vice-versa.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching from biventricular pacing to single ventricular pacing or vice-versa.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an exertion level sensor and wherein the controller is programmed such that the switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode is inhibited if the measured exertion level is above a specified limit value.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed to detect cardiac ischemia from an electrogram morphology analysis and further wherein the controller is programmed such that the switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode is inhibited if cardiac ischemia is detected.

11. A method for operating a cardiac rhythm management device, comprising intermittently switching from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode in which a particular region or regions of the ventricular myocardium are subjected to increased mechanical stress as compared with the stress experienced by those regions during the normal operating mode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the normal operating mode is a primary pacing mode for delivering ventricular pacing therapy and wherein stress augmentation mode causes a different depolarization pattern than the primary pacing mode.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the stress augmentation mode excites the ventricular myocardium at a site or sites different from the primary pacing mode.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching form bipolar pacing to unipolar pacing or vice-versa.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching which electrode of a bipolar pacing lead is the cathode and which electrode is the anode.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the device is equipped with multiple pacing channels and further wherein the stress augmentation mode uses at least one pacing channel not used in the primary pacing mode.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching from left ventricle-only pacing to right ventricular pacing or vice-versa.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the switch from a primary pacing mode to a stress augmentation mode involves switching from biventricular pacing to single ventricular pacing or vice-versa.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising measuring a patient'"'"'s exertion level inhibiting the switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode if the measured exertion level is above a specified limit value.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising detecting cardiac ischemia from an electrogram morphology analysis and inhibiting the switch from a normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode if cardiac ischemia is detected.