Electrical muscle controller
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for treatment of reduced cardiac output, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a signal generator adapted to apply an electric signal to a cardiac tissue; and
(b) a controller adapted to operate the signal generator so as to selectively apply the signal during a period of absolute refractory of said cardiac tissue,wherein the electric signal increases a contractility of cardiac muscle and wherein said controller is adapted to apply said signal often enough to provide a clinically meaningful improvement in cardiac function.
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Abstract
A method of modifying the force of contraction of at least a portion of a heart chamber, including providing a subject having a heart, comprising at least a portion having an activation, and applying a non-excitatory electric field having a given duration, at a delay after the activation, to the portion, which causes the force of contraction to be increased by a least 5%.
468 Citations
56 Claims
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1. Apparatus for treatment of reduced cardiac output, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a signal generator adapted to apply an electric signal to a cardiac tissue; and (b) a controller adapted to operate the signal generator so as to selectively apply the signal during a period of absolute refractory of said cardiac tissue, wherein the electric signal increases a contractility of cardiac muscle and wherein said controller is adapted to apply said signal often enough to provide a clinically meaningful improvement in cardiac function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 56)
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- 19. A method of treating reduced cardiac output, the method comprising applying an electric signal to cardiac tissue to increase a contractility of cardiac muscle, said applying being during an absolute refractory period of said muscle and said applying being sufficient to provide a clinically significant improvement in cardiac function.
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29. A method of long term treatment of reduced cardiac output, the method comprising:
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implanting an electrode to contact cardiac tissue; and applying electric pulses to the cardiac tissue via the implanted electrode, said applying being during an absolute refractory period of said tissue, said applying being sufficient to clinically improve cardiac function. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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- 42. A method of treating reduced cardiac output, the method comprising applying an electric signal to cardiac tissue to increase a contractility of cardiac muscle, said applying being during a non-paced cardiac cycle, said applying being repeated for sufficient cardiac cycles to provide a clinically significant improvement in cardiac function.
Specification