Neurostimulation and recording of physiological response for the treatment of chronic cardiac dysfunction
AssigneesCyberonics, Inc., East Tennessee State University
InventorsImad Libbus, Badri Amurthur, Bruce H. KenKnight, Jeffrey L. Ardell
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for delivering neurostimulation therapies to patients for treating chronic heart failure. A neural fulcrum zone is identified and ongoing neurostimulation therapy is delivered within the neural fulcrum zone. The implanted stimulation device includes a physiological sensor for recording the patient's response to the neurostimulation therapy on an ambulatory basis over extended periods of time.
Claims20
An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:
- an electrode assembly;
- a neurostimulator coupled to the electrode assembly, said neurostimulator adapted to deliver a stimulation signal to a patient in a neural fulcrum zone of the patient, said stimulation signal comprising an ON time and an OFF time;
- a heart rate sensor configured to acquire a heart rate signal from the patient;
- and
- a control system coupled to the neurostimulator, and the heart rate sensor and configured to:
- monitor a baseline signal acquired by the heart rate sensor, wherein the baseline signal comprises a baseline heart rate during the OFF time of the stimulation signal;
- monitor a response signal acquired by the heart rate sensor, wherein the response signal comprises a heart rate response during the ON time of the stimulation signal;
- and
- detect whether the stimulation signal is within the neural fulcrum zone corresponding to a stimulation intensity during which a transition heart rate response is detected, the transition heart rate response being between tachycardia and bradycardia and comprising a heart rate change between the baseline signal and the response signal that is less than a predefined threshold.
A method of operating an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising a heart rate sensor configured to acquire a heart rate signal from the patient and a neurostimulator coupled to an electrode assembly and adapted to deliver a stimulation signal to a patient, the method comprising:
- activating the neurostimulator to deliver a stimulation signal comprising an ON time and an OFF time;
- monitoring a baseline signal acquired by the heart rate sensor, wherein the monitoring the baseline signal comprises monitoring a heart rate response during the OFF time of the stimulation signal;
- monitoring a response signal acquired by the heart sensor, wherein the monitoring the response signal comprises monitoring a heart rate response during the ON time of the stimulation signal;
- and
- detecting whether the stimulation signal is within the neural fulcrum zone corresponding to a stimulation intensity during which a transition heart rate response is detected, the transition heart rate response being between tachycardia and bradycardia and comprising a heart rate change between the baseline signal and the response signal that is less than a predefined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.