Drug-device combination for controlling the contractility of muscles
First Claim
1. A method for the combined drug/electric stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising a) administering to a patient in need thereof a drug which affects the cardiovascular system and which affects the cardiac muscle, or a mixture of two or more such drugs, b) creating a non-excitatory electric potential between at least two points located in the vicinity of the muscle, and c) controlling one or more of the parameters consisting of start time, duration, magnitude and polarity of the non-excitatory electric potential created between said at least two points.
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Abstract
An apparatus for the combined drug/electric-stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle comprises circuitry (S) for creating a non-excitatory electric potential between at least two points (R1, R2) located in the vicinity of a muscle (H). A method for the combined drug/electric-stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, using the apparatus, involves controlling the start time, duration, and magnitude of the electric current flowing between said at least two points, to impart a desired change in cardiac muscle performance.
122 Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A method for the combined drug/electric stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising a) administering to a patient in need thereof a drug which affects the cardiovascular system and which affects the cardiac muscle, or a mixture of two or more such drugs, b) creating a non-excitatory electric potential between at least two points located in the vicinity of the muscle, and c) controlling one or more of the parameters consisting of start time, duration, magnitude and polarity of the non-excitatory electric potential created between said at least two points.
- 2. A method for the combined drug/electric stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising a) administering to a patient in need thereof a drug which affects the cardiovascular Stem and which affects the cardiac muscle, or a mixture of two or more such drugs, b) causing a non-excitatory electric current to flow between at least two points located in the vicinity of the muscle, and c) controlling one or more of the parameters consisting of start time, duration, magnitude and polarity of the non-excitatory electric current flowing between said at least two points.
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8. A method for the combined drug/electric-stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising:
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administering to a patient in need thereof a drug which affects the cardiovascular system and which affects the cardiac muscle, or a mixture of two or more such drugs;
providing means for creating an electric potential between at least two points located in the vicinity of the cardiac muscle;
providing means for causing a non-excitatory electric current to flow between said at least two point; and
controlling the start time, duration and magnitude of the electric current flowing between said at least two points so as to impart a desired change in cardiac muscle contractility.
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14. A method for the combined drug/electric-stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising:
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administering to a patient in need thereof a drug which affects the cardiovascular system and which affects the cardiac muscle, or a mixture of two or more such drugs;
providing an electric potential between at least a pair of electrodes in the vicinity of the cardiac muscle at at least two root locations;
causing a non-excitatory electric current to flow between said at least two contacting locations; and
controlling the start time, duration and magnitude of the electric current flowing between said at least two root locations, so as to impart the desired change in cardiac muscle contractility. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. Apparatus for the combined drug/electric-stimulation treatment of a cardiac muscle, comprising:
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means for creating an electric potential between at least two points located in the vicinity of the cardiac muscle;
means for causing a non-excitatory electric current to flow between said at least two points;
means for controlling the start time, duration and magnitude of the electric current flowing between said at least two points; and
means for superimposing on the DC signal one or more waveforms of given frequency and amplitude, thereby to generate a complex signal.
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19. Apparatus according to claim 20, comprising:
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means for creating an electric potential between at least a pair of electrodes in the vicinity of the cardiac muscle at at least two root locations;
means for causing a non-excitatory electric current to flow between said at least two root locations;
means for controlling the start time, duration and magnitude of the electric current flowing between said at least two root locations; and
means for superimposing on the DC signal one or more waveforms of given frequency and amplitude, thereby to generate a complex signal.
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Specification