Subcardiac threshold vagal nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. An implantable stimulation apparatus comprising:
- a) a vagal nerve stimulator configured to generate electrical pulses having an energy insufficient to slow a patient'"'"'s heart rate;
b) a first electrode coupled to the vagal nerve stimulator and configured to transmit the electrical pulses to a vagal nerve so as to at least one of;
(1) inhibit injury resulting from an ischemia;
or (2) reduce injury resulting from an ischemia;
c) a second electrode configured to sense cardiac activity of a patient'"'"'s heart; and
d) a control circuit coupled to the second electrode and the vagal nerve stimulator, the control circuit configured to;
use the cardiac activity to determine an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is not slowed;
determine an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is slowed by increasing the enemy of the electrical pulses until the sensed cardiac activity indicates a slowing of the heart rate; and
adjust energy parameters of the electrical pulses so that the energy of the electric pulses is insufficient to slow the patient'"'"'s heart rate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an implantable stimulation apparatus includes a vagal nerve stimulator configured to generate electrical pulses below a cardiac threshold of a heart, and an electrode coupled to the vagal nerve stimulator which is configured to transmit the electrical pulses below the cardiac threshold, to a vagal nerve so as to inhibit injury resulting from an ischemia and/or reduce injury resulting from an ischemia. In another embodiment, an implantable stimulation apparatus includes a vagal nerve stimulator configured to generate electrical pulses below a cardiac threshold, and includes an electrode, which is coupled to the vagal nerve stimulator and configured transmit electrical pulses to a vagal nerve so as to reduce a defibrillation threshold of the heart.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. An implantable stimulation apparatus comprising:
-
a) a vagal nerve stimulator configured to generate electrical pulses having an energy insufficient to slow a patient'"'"'s heart rate; b) a first electrode coupled to the vagal nerve stimulator and configured to transmit the electrical pulses to a vagal nerve so as to at least one of;
(1) inhibit injury resulting from an ischemia;
or (2) reduce injury resulting from an ischemia;c) a second electrode configured to sense cardiac activity of a patient'"'"'s heart; and d) a control circuit coupled to the second electrode and the vagal nerve stimulator, the control circuit configured to;
use the cardiac activity to determine an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is not slowed;
determine an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is slowed by increasing the enemy of the electrical pulses until the sensed cardiac activity indicates a slowing of the heart rate; and
adjust energy parameters of the electrical pulses so that the energy of the electric pulses is insufficient to slow the patient'"'"'s heart rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An implantable stimulation apparatus comprising:
-
a) a first electrode configured to sense cardiac activity of a heart; b) a vagal nerve stimulator configured to generate electrical pulses having an energy sufficient to treat ischemia without slowing of the heart rate; c) a second electrode coupled to the vagal nerve stimulator and configured to transmit the electrical pulses to a vagal nerve for treating an ischemia; and d) a controller coupled to the first electrode and the vagal nerve stimulator, the controller being configured to control the vagal nerve stimulator based on the cardiac activity, wherein the controller is configured to reduce the energy of the electrical pulses if the sensed cardiac activity indicates a reduction of the beat rate of the heart, and wherein the controller is configured to increase the energy of the electrical pulses until the sensed cardiac activity indicates a slowing of the beat rate of the heart. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method comprising:
-
determining an energy of electrical pulses sufficient to treat ischemia in a patient without slowing of the patient'"'"'s heart rate when delivered to a vagal nerve; determining an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is slowed when delivered to the vagal nerve by increasing the energy of the electrical pulses until the sensed cardiac activity indicates a slowing of the heart rate; generating electrical pulses having said energy sufficient to treat ischemia in a patient without slowing of the patient'"'"'s heart rate; and treating an ischemia by transmitting the electrical pulses to the vagal nerve. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method comprising:
-
sensing cardiac activity of a heart; detecting an ischemia based on the cardiac activity; determining an energy of electrical pulses effective to treat ischemia in a patient when delivered to a vagal nerve without slowing of the patient'"'"'s heart rate based on the cardiac activity of the patient; determining an energy of the electrical pulses at which the patient'"'"'s heart rate is slowed when delivered to the vagal nerve by increasing the energy of the electrical pulses until the sensed cardiac activity indicates a slowing of the heart rate; generating electrical pulses having said energy sufficient to treat ischemia in a patient without slowing of the patient'"'"'s heart rate; and transmitting the electrical pulses having said energy sufficient to treat ischemia in a patient without slowing of the patient'"'"'s heart rate to the vagal nerve for treating an ischemia. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
-
Specification