Implantable neurostimulator-implemented method for managing bradycardia through vagus nerve stimulation

A method for managing bradycardia through vagus nerve stimulation, comprising the steps of:

• defining a maintenance dose of electrical therapeutic stimulation;
• delivering the maintenance dose to a vagus nerve of a patient independent of cardiac cycle;
• periodically monitoring the patient's physiology via a physiological sensor;
• upon sensing a condition indicative of bradycardia, suspending the delivery of the maintenance dose to the vagus nerve, comprising:
• determining a back-off delay comprising an amount of time that increases over each previous back-off delay;
• upon expiry of the back-off delay, checking the patient's physiology via the physiological sensor;
• and
• upon sensing a condition indicative of an absence or termination of the bradycardia, delivering the maintenance dose at a partial duty cycle to the vagus nerve;
• resuming the periodic monitoring of the patient's physiology;
• and
• upon sensing a condition indicative of a continued absence of bradycardia, gradually increasing the duty cycle of the maintenance dose.

A method for managing bradycardia through vagus nerve stimulation, comprising the steps of:

• defining a maintenance dose of electrical therapeutic stimulation, wherein the electrical therapeutic stimulation comprises a pulsed electrical signal comprising:
• a signal ON time;
• a signal OFF time;
• an output current;
• a signal frequency of approximately 10 Hz;
• a pulse width;
• and
• a duty cycle defined by dividing the signal ON time by the sum of the signal ON time and signal OFF time;
• delivering the maintenance dose to a vagus nerve of a patient independent of cardiac cycle;
• periodically monitoring the patient's physiology via a physiological sensor;
• upon sensing a condition indicative of bradycardia, suspending the delivery of the maintenance dose to the vagus nerve, comprising:
• determining a back-off delay comprising an amount of time that increases over each previous back-off delay;
• upon expiry of the back-off delay, checking the patient's physiology via the physiological sensor;
• and
• upon sensing a condition indicative of an absence or termination of the bradycardia, delivering the maintenance dose at a partial duty cycle to the vagus nerve;
• resuming the periodic monitoring of the patient's physiology;
• and
• upon sensing a condition indicative of a continued absence of bradycardia, gradually increasing the duty cycle of the maintenance dose.