Method and apparatus to minimize effects of a cardiac insult
First Claim
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1. A method for protecting cardiac tissue from a myocardial insult resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue, comprising:
- identifying an occurrence of a myocardial insult capable of resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue; and
automatically delivering electrical stimulation cutaneously adjacent to one or more of the T1–
T12 vertebrae or at upper cervical levels C1–
C4 over the back of the head and neck in a patient'"'"'s body using one or more electrodes positioned adjacent an external surface of the body in order to avoid necrosis of myocardial tissue due to the insult, wherein said one or more electrodes are spaced from myocardial tissue of the patient.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for protecting cardiac tissue from insult. The method comprises identifying the occurrence of an insult, such as a heart attack, and delivering electrical stimulation to one or more predetermined nerves in a patient'"'"'s body in response to identifying the occurrence of the insult. The stimulation may be provided at the spinal canal or on the chest wall of the patient through cutaneous electrodes.
319 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for protecting cardiac tissue from a myocardial insult resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue, comprising:
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identifying an occurrence of a myocardial insult capable of resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue; and automatically delivering electrical stimulation cutaneously adjacent to one or more of the T1–
T12 vertebrae or at upper cervical levels C1–
C4 over the back of the head and neck in a patient'"'"'s body using one or more electrodes positioned adjacent an external surface of the body in order to avoid necrosis of myocardial tissue due to the insult, wherein said one or more electrodes are spaced from myocardial tissue of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for protecting cardiac tissue from a myocardial insult resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue, comprising:
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at least one electrode positionable adjacent an external surface of a body and cutaneously adjacent to one or more of the T1–
T12 vertebrae or at upper cervical levels C1–
C4 over the back of the head and neck proximate to nerve tissue and spaced from myocardial tissue; anda controller adapted to identify a cardiac insult and to automatically deliver electrical stimulation to the at least one electrode in order to avoid necrosis of myocardial tissue due to the insult. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable medium for storing instructions for performing a computer-implemented method to protect cardiac tissue from a myocardial insult resulting in necrosis of myocardial tissue, comprising:
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software encoded instructions for identifying an occurrence of a myocardial insult; and software encoded instructions automatically delivering electrical stimulation using one or more electrodes positioned adjacent an external surface of the body in order to avoid necrosis of myocardial tissue due to the insult. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification