System and method for enhancing collateral cardiac blood flow
First Claim
1. A method of providing collateral blood flow through a patient'"'"'s skeletal muscle to a patient'"'"'s myocardial tissue, comprising:
- a) operatively connecting a skeletal muscle pedicle of the patient to said myocardial tissue, the muscle pedicle retaining its source of blood flow;
b) attaching a stimulator to said skeletal muscle and delivering stimulus pulses from said stimulator to said skeletal muscle; and
c) controlling said stimulator to deliver chronic stimulus pulses to said muscle in accordance with a chronic pattern so as to provide chronic collateral blood flow from said muscle to said myocardium, and changing the pattern of delivering stimulus pulses for acute periods during increased levels of patient cardiac demand, said controlling providing for increased collateral flow from said skeletal muscle to said myocardial tissue.
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Abstract
There is provided a system and method for enhancing collateral blood flow to the heart of a patient having angina with otherwise normal cardiac function. Skeletal muscle from the patient is attachd to the left ventricle, and stimulated with both chronic and acute stimulation to provide chronic long-term collateral blood flow and increased acute collateral blood flow during periods of exercise or times when angina is at greater risk. The stimulation system includes a sensor for determining cardiac demand and/or for sensing natural heartbeats, and processing circuitry for acutely increasing stimulation of the skeletal muscle in response to the sensor or natural rate. The system is further provided with internal clock means for causing cessation of delivery of stimulus pulses during periods of low activity, and external programming means for programming changes in either chronic or acute stimulation.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of providing collateral blood flow through a patient'"'"'s skeletal muscle to a patient'"'"'s myocardial tissue, comprising:
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a) operatively connecting a skeletal muscle pedicle of the patient to said myocardial tissue, the muscle pedicle retaining its source of blood flow; b) attaching a stimulator to said skeletal muscle and delivering stimulus pulses from said stimulator to said skeletal muscle; and c) controlling said stimulator to deliver chronic stimulus pulses to said muscle in accordance with a chronic pattern so as to provide chronic collateral blood flow from said muscle to said myocardium, and changing the pattern of delivering stimulus pulses for acute periods during increased levels of patient cardiac demand, said controlling providing for increased collateral flow from said skeletal muscle to said myocardial tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of treating a patient having angina by electrically stimulating collateral blood flow from a first portion of the patient'"'"'s heart to a normally functioning portion of said patient'"'"'s myocardium, comprising operatively connecting a portion of said patient'"'"'s skeletal muscle to said first portion and to said normally functioning myocardial portion, and stimulating said skeletal muscle with a pattern of stimulus pulses so as to electrically induce said collateral blood flow from said first portion through said skeletal muscle to said normally functioning portion without substantial mechanical activation of the patient'"'"'s heart.
Specification