Method to enhance cardiac capillary growth in heart failure patients
US6473644B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N1/3627
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method is disclosed for treating patients suffering from heart failure to increase cardiac output. The patient's vagus nerve is electrically stimulated or modulated with a sequence of substantially equally spaced pulses by an implanted neurostimulator, and the frequency of the stimulating pulses is adjusted until the patient's heart rate reaches a target rate within a relatively stable target rate range below the low end of the patient's customary resting heart rate. The frequency of the stimulating pulses is maintained at the frequency which ultimately produced the relatively stable target rate range so as not to deviate markedly from the target rate, at least so long as the patient remains at rest. An activity sensor associated with the implanted neurostimulator detects physical activity of the patient and adjusts the frequency of the stimulating pulses accordingly, to elevate the heart rate during periods of physical activity by the patient. When the patient ceases the activity, the vagal stimulation reverts along a prescribed fall-back path to a frequency that will reproduce the target heart rate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.