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US 7,925,342 B2Granted
Implantable device for responsive neural stimulation therapy
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsBadri Amurthur, Imad Libbus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are methods and devices that utilize electrical neural stimulation to treat heart failure by modulating a patient's autonomic balance in a manner that inhibits sympathetic activity and/or augments parasympathetic activity. In one embodiment, the duty cycle for delivering neural stimulation is adjusted in accordance with one or more measured physiological variables.
Claims20
An implantable device for delivering neural stimulation, comprising:
- a pulse generator for outputting neural stimulation pulses to one or more stimulation electrodes connected to the pulse generator for delivering electrical stimulation to a selected neural site, wherein the stimulation electrodes are configurable for delivering vagal stimulation to a patient;
- a controller connected to the pulse generator for controlling the output of neural stimulation pulses;
- wherein the controller is programmed to alternate between a neural stimulation state in which neural stimulation pulses are delivered and a non-neural stimulation state in which no neural stimulation pulses are delivered;
- wherein the controller is programmed to alternate between the neural stimulation state and the non-neural stimulation state according to a programmed duty cycle that specifies durations for each state;
- a respiratory sensor connected to the controller for enabling detection of inspiratory and expiratory respiratory phases;
- wherein the controller is programmed to permit neural stimulation pulses to be delivered when in the neural stimulation state only during the expiratory respiratory phase;
- and,
- wherein the controller is further programmed to maintain a record of the cumulative duration of neural stimulation and derive an effective overall duty cycle, adjust the programmed duty cycle to increase the duration of the neural stimulation state and/or decrease the duration of the non-neural stimulation state if the effective overall duty cycle is less than the desired overall duty cycle, and adjust the programmed duty cycle to decrease the duration of the neural stimulation state and/or increase the duration of the non-neural stimulation state if the effective overall duty cycle is more than the desired overall duty cycle.
5 more elements
A method for operating an implantable device to deliver neural stimulation, comprising:
- alternating between a neural stimulation state and a non-neural stimulation according to a programmed duty cycle that specifies a duration for each state;
- delivering bursts of neural stimulation pulses to a vagal stimulation site of a patient when the device is in the neural stimulation state;
- detecting inspiratory and expiratory respiratory phases of the patient;
- permitting neural stimulation pulses to be delivered when in the neural stimulation state only during the expiratory respiratory phase;
- and,
- maintaining a record of the cumulative duration of neural stimulation and deriving an effective overall duty cycle, adjusting the programmed duty cycle to increase the duration of the neural stimulation state and/or decrease the duration of the non-neural stimulation state if the effective overall duty cycle is less than the desired overall duty cycle, and adjusting the programmed duty cycle to decrease the duration of the neural stimulation state and/or increase the duration of the non-neural stimulation state if the effective overall duty cycle is more than the desired overall duty cycle.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.