CARDIAC STIMULATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE CONTROL OF HYPERTENSION

• US 20090018608A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Backbeat Medical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Asap Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Pless, Benjamin, van Tassel, Robert, Schwartz, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/44
• 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 1/36514 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 1/36564 controlled by blood pressure

Abstract

The method calls for the periodic electrical stimulation of the heart muscle to alter the ejection profile of the heart thus reducing the observed blood pressure of the patient. The therapy may be invoked by an implantable blood pressure sensor associated with a pacemaker like device.

Claims

1. A heart muscle stimulating device for stimulating the heart 100 to modify blood pressure comprising:

a first catheter in communication with the right ventricle (RV), coupled to said device to stimulate the right ventricle (RV), and to sense native depolarizations of the right ventricle (RV);

a second catheter in communication with the right atrium (RA) coupled to said device to stimulate the right atrium (RA), and to sense native depolarizations of the right atrium (RA);

a pressure sensing device providing pressure information to said heart stimulating device;

logic within said device responsive to said pressure sensing device 108 for initiating a blood pressure management stimulation protocol in response to a pressure trigger value;

said blood pressure management protocol comprising delivery of right ventricular stimulation prior to the expiration of the atrial escape interval of a stimulation mode, followed promptly thereafter by the delivery of a right atrial (RA) stimulation, whereby the observed right ventricular (RV) contractility is reduced.

2. A heart muscle stimulating device for stimulating the heart to manage blood pressure comprising:

a first catheter in communication with the right ventricle (RV), having at least a single electrode site, coupled to said device to stimulate the right ventricle (RV);

a second catheter in communication with the right atrium (RA) coupled to said device to stimulate the right atrium (RA), and to sense native depolarizations of the right atrium (RA);

a pressure sensing device providing pressure information to said heart stimulating device;

a blood pressure management stimulation protocol comprising delivery of right ventricular stimulation following a delay after sensing a right atrial depolarization, followed thereafter by the delivery of a right atrial (RA) stimulation, whereby blood pressure is reduced.

3. A stimulating device that affects left ventricular function and chamber contraction synchrony through stimulating the interventricular septum.

4. A method, carried out with an implanted heart muscle stimulator, for treating blood pressure disorders in a patient comprising the steps of:

measuring the patient'"'"'s pre treatment blood pressure (BP), with an external or implanted sensor, corresponding to both a pretreatment cardiac ejection profile and a pretreatment cardiac contractility profile;

comparing the measured pre treatment blood pressure with a treatment threshold;

stimulating the patient'"'"'s heart with an electrical stimulus at one or more times and/or locations to alter the cardiac ejection profile thereby reducing the measured blood pressure from the pretreatment blood pressure value.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a lead in the RV right ventricle of the heart and coupling the lead to said muscle stimulator.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a lead in the LV left ventricle of the heart and coupling the lead to said muscle stimulator.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a lead in the LV left ventricle of the heart and placing a lead in the RV right ventricle and coupling each of said leads to said muscle stimulator.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a first lead at a first location in the RV right ventricle of the heart and placing a second lead at a second location different from said first location in the RV right ventricle and coupling each of said leads to said muscle stimulator.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a first lead at a first location in the LV left ventricle of the heart and placing a second lead at a second location different from said first location in the LV left ventricle and coupling each of said leads to said muscle stimulator.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a first lead at a first location in the RA right atrium of the heart and placing a second lead at a second location in the LV left ventricle and coupling each of said leads to said muscle stimulator.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the stimulating step comprises:

placing a first lead at a first location in the RA right atrium of the heart and placing a second lead at a second location in the RV right ventricle and coupling each of said leads to said muscle stimulator.