Combined remodeling control therapy and anti-remodeling therapy by implantable cardiac device
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsImad Libbus, Bruce H. KenKnight, Julia Moffitt, Yatheendhar D. Manicka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device for delivering ventricular resynchronization pacing therapy in conjunction with electrical stimulation of nerves which alter the activity of the autonomic nervous system is disclosed. Such therapies may be delivered by an implantable device and are useful in preventing the deleterious ventricular remodeling which occurs as a result of a heart attack or heart failure. The device may perform an assessment of cardiac function in order to individually modulate the delivery of the two types of therapy.
Claims30
An implantable device for delivering cardiac therapy to a patient, comprising:
- one or more pacing channels for delivering pacing pulses to one or more ventricular sites;
- a sympathetic inhibition channel for stimulating nerves which inhibit sympathetic nerve activity;
- a controller for controlling the delivery of pacing pulses to one or more ventricular sites during a cardiac cycle in accordance with a programmed pacing mode;
- wherein the controller is programmed to deliver remodeling control therapy (RCT) by delivering ventricular pacing in a manner which pre-excites a region of the ventricular myocardium so as to mechanically unload that region during systole;
- wherein the controller is further programmed to delivery anti-remodeling therapy (ART) in conjunction with RCT by inhibiting sympathetic nerve activity via the sympathetic inhibition channel;
- means for assessing cardiac function and wherein the controller is programmed to deliver RCT and ART as modulated by an assessment of cardiac function;
- and,
- wherein ART is modulated in response to the assessment of cardiac function by varying the duty cycle of neural stimulation pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.