System and method for myocardial revalidation and therapy by high rate pacing
First Claim
1. A cardiac pacing system having a pacemaker with a pace pulse generator, and at least one lead for delivering pace pulses from said pacemaker to a patient'"'"'s heart, said pacemaker having rate control means for controlling the rate of pace pulses generated by said pace pulse generator, said rate control means comprising:
- high rate means for controlling said generator to continuously generate said pace pulses at a high rate in a range of about 90-160 bpm and for a high rate episode of a predetermined duration, said high rate means further comprising algorithm means for controlling the rate variation and duration of a said high rate episode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a system and method for high rate pacing of patients for training, or revalidation of heart muscle. The system and method of this invention provide a therapy particularly directed for patients with CHF, to enable effective exercise of the cardiac muscle without requiring the patient to exercise. In another embodiment, an alternate high rate routine, or algorithm is provided for assisting a patient to exercise during at least some part of the high rate pacing routine. The high rate pacing therapy may be initiated either automatically, based upon the patient'"'"'s circadian rhythm; automatically by patient data sensed by a system of sensors; or may be initiated directly by the patient by use of a simple external programmer device. The pacemaker of the invention suitably stores a plurality of algorithms which can be selected, or which can be modified or replaced by an external programmer. Whether used by a CHF patient or a patient who does not have CHF but who is in danger of developing it, the exercise algorithms suitably provide for high rate pacing in the range of about 90-160 bpm. For a CHF patient, the high rate pacing is carried out for a duration in the area of about 20 minutes, preferably twice a day. The duration and frequency of therapy can be programmed to match patient needs, and may vary from only several minutes to much greater than 20 minutes, carried out 1, 2 or more times daily, or automatically based upon patient data.
120 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A cardiac pacing system having a pacemaker with a pace pulse generator, and at least one lead for delivering pace pulses from said pacemaker to a patient'"'"'s heart, said pacemaker having rate control means for controlling the rate of pace pulses generated by said pace pulse generator, said rate control means comprising:
high rate means for controlling said generator to continuously generate said pace pulses at a high rate in a range of about 90-160 bpm and for a high rate episode of a predetermined duration, said high rate means further comprising algorithm means for controlling the rate variation and duration of a said high rate episode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- 24. A pacing system for providing pacing therapy to a patient, the system having a pace pulse generator and delivery means for delivering pace pulses to a patient'"'"'s heart, and comprising control means for controlling the rate of generation and delivery of said pace pulses, said control means comprising at least one algorithm for determining an episode of high rate pacing, said algorithm providing for increasing pacing rate to at least a predetermined high value for a duration calculated to exercise said patient'"'"'s cardiac muscle.
-
29. A pacing system for providing pacing therapy to a patient, the system having a pace pulse generator and delivery means for delivering pace pulses to a patient'"'"'s heart, and comprising control means for controlling the rate of generation and delivery of said pace pulses, said control means comprising at least one algorithm for determining an episode of high rate pacing, said algorithm providing for increasing pacing rate to at least a predetermined high value for a duration calculated to exercise said patient'"'"'s cardiac muscle and to aid said patient in exercising during at least a portion of said duration.
- 30. A method of high rate pacing therapy, comprising determining a high rate pacing duration suitable for exercising a patient'"'"'s heart, and pacing said patient'"'"'s heart at a rate in the range of 90-160 bpm for said determined duration.
Specification