Neural stimulation systems, devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9186522-B2
Application number	US-201414220939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2006
Publication date	Nov 17, 2015
Grant date	Nov 17, 2015

Abstract

Various system embodiments comprise circuitry to determine when an arrhythmia has terminated, and a neural stimulator adapted to temporarily deliver neural stimulation therapy to assist with recovering from the arrhythmia in response to termination of the arrhythmia.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
chronically performing a prophylactic neural stimulation therapy;
in response to a therapy trigger, delivering an arrhythmia therapy, wherein delivering the other therapy includes temporarily delivering therapeutic neural stimulation as part of the other therapy;
determining when an arrhythmia has terminated, and responding to termination of the arrhythmia by initiating a post-therapy neural stimulation that has a programmed duration, wherein stimulation in the post-therapy neural stimulation is distinct from stimulation in the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy; and
upon completion of the other therapy, chronically performing the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes chronically performing the prophylactic neural stimulation according to a programmed therapy schedule contingent on enabling conditions.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering pre-therapy neural stimulation, wherein stimulation in the pre-therapy neural stimulation is distinct from stimulation in the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein temporarily delivering neural stimulation includes temporarily delivering a multi-stage therapy.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein temporarily delivering neural stimulation includes delivering a programmed neural stimulation as a programmed response to the therapy trigger.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes neural stimulation to control blood pressure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes neural stimulation to prevent or reduce a risk of cardiac arrhythmia.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes a heart failure therapy.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to a therapy trigger, delivering a pretherapy neural stimulation in preparation for delivering the other therapy; and
upon completion of the other therapy, delivering a post-therapy neural stimulation to assist with recovering from the other therapy.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein delivering a post-therapy neural stimulation includes delivering the post-therapy neural stimulation using a first stage of stimulation and then using a second stage of stimulation distinct from the first stage.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein delivering the pretherapy neural stimulation includes delivering a programmed pretherapy neural stimulation having a programmed duration and including a plurality of neural stimulation pulses, wherein the pretherapy neural stimulation is a programmed response to the therapy trigger.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising detecting an arrhythmia, and providing the therapy trigger in response to detecting the arrhythmia.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the therapy includes;
an anti-arrhythmia shock therapy, and the pretherapy neural stimulation includes a neural stimulation therapy to reduce pain associated with the antiarrhythmia shock therapy; or
an antitachycardia pacing, and the pretherapy neural stimulation includes a neural stimulation therapy to modify the arrhythmia in preparation for antitachycardia pacing.

14. A method, comprising:
chronically performing a prophylactic neural stimulation therapy;
in response to a therapy trigger, temporarily delivering neural stimulation as part of an arrhythmia therapy, determining when an arrhythmia has terminated, and responding to termination of the arrhythmia by initiating and delivering a post-therapy neural stimulation, the post-therapy neural stimulation having a programmed duration and is distinct from the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy; and
upon completion of the arrhythmia therapy, chronically performing the prophylactic neural stimulation therapy.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chronically-performed prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes neural stimulation to control blood pressure.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chronically-performed prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes neural stimulation to prevent or reduce a risk of cardiac arrhythmia.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chronically-performed prophylactic neural stimulation therapy includes a heart failure therapy.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein in response to the therapy trigger, delivering a pretherapy neural stimulation and then delivering the arrhythmia therapy.

Assignees

• Cardiac Pacemakers Inc

Inventors

• Ternes David J
• Kramer Andrew P
• Libbus Imad
• Stahmann Jeffrey E

Classifications

• A61N1/3621

  for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate · CPC title

• A61N1/3987 Primary

  characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock · CPC title

• A61N1/39622

  Pacing therapy · CPC title

• A61N1/36114

  Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation (stimulating the heart A61N1/362) · CPC title

• A61N1/36117

  for treating hypertension · CPC title