Cardiac pacing to induce heart rate variability

• US 6,253,107 B1
• Filed: 12/06/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare, Inc. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Heart Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Paul, Arnold, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/455,444
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607/10, 600/513
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36592 controlled by the heart rate variability

Abstract

Heart function is improved by inducing heart rate variability through cardiac pacing. Electrical pacing signals are generated and applyied to a heart to improve heart function. The pacing signals are controlled to vary a heart rate during periods of less than five minutes in duration to induce beneficial heart rate variability.

Claims

1. A method of improving heart function, the method comprising:

generating electrical pacing signals, the pacing signals being controlled to vary a heart rate during periods of less than five minutes in duration to induce beneficial heart rate variability; and

applying the electrical pacing signals to a heart to improve heart function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the beneficial heart rate variability results in decreased likelihood of cardiac arrhythmia.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a measure of electrical stability of the heart related to likelihood of cardiac arrhythmia and generating the pacing signals using the measure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the measure of electrical stability comprises a measure of electrical alternans.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the measure of electrical stability includes a measure of blood pressure alternans.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the pacing signals comprises modifying the pacing signals in response to changes in the measure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pacing signals comprises controlling the pacing signals to mimic physiologic patterns of heart rate variability.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pacing signals comprises controlling the pacing signals using a measure of a physiologic process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the physiologic process comprises cardiac electrical activity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the physiologic process comprises respiration.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the physiologic process comprises blood pressure regulation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pacing signals comprises controlling the pacing signals using a measure of the average heart rate.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the beneficial heart rate variability results in improved left ventricular function.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pacing signals comprises controlling the pacing signals to decrease a level of blood pressure alternans.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the pacing signals to vary the heart rate by more than 2 percent.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the pacing signals to vary the heart rate by more than 2 percent during a period of less than one minute in duration.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling the pacing signals to vary the heart rate by more than 2 percent during a period of less than 30 seconds in duration.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling the pacing signals to vary the heart rate by more than 2 percent during a period of less than 10 seconds in duration.

19. A method of assessing cardiac electrical stability, the method comprising:

generating a measure of cardiac electrical alternans;

generating a measure of blood pressure alternans; and

assessing cardiac electrical stability using both the measure of cardiac electrical alternans and the measure of blood pressure alternans.