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US 11,577,059 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus to increase secretion of endogenous naturetic hormones
AssigneeBackBeat Medical, Inc.
InventorsHoward Levin, Mark Gelfand
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for treatment of heart failure by increasing secretion of endogenous naturetic hormones ANP and BNP such as by stimulation of the heart atria. Heart pacing is done at an atrial contraction rate that is increased and can be higher than the ventricular contraction rate. Pacing may include mechanical distension of the right atrial appendage. An implantable device is used to periodically cyclically stretch the walls of the appendage with an implanted balloon.
Claims17
A method for treating a patient comprising:
- determining that the patient is suffering from a condition comprising one or more of hypertension, excessive fluid retention, or excessive sodium retention;
- treating the condition by stressing a wall of at least one atrium of a heart of the patient beyond a natural stress condition of the wall, such that the stressed wall secretes a hormone at an elevated level above a natural secretion level occurring naturally when the wall of the at least one atrium is not stressed by the stressing,
- wherein stressing the wall of the at least one atrium of the heart comprises stretching the at least one atrium by one or more of pulling on an atrial appendage, pulling on the at least one atrium, or pulling on a junction between the at least one atrium and a vessel;
- and
- achieving a beneficial therapeutic effect in the patient by the hormone secreted at the elevated level,
- wherein the beneficial therapeutic effect includes a reduction in blood pressure.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.