Method and apparatus for passive cardiac stimulation

Abstract

A passive conductor assembly for use with an implanted stimulating device having an intracavitarily or transvenously disposed electrode is disclosed. The passive conductor assembly used in combination with the implanted stimulus generator having an intracavitarily or intravenously disposed electrode includes at least one conductive element having a first end and a second end, and / or other contacting sites for contacting a portion of a heart of a subject to be stimulated. The passive conductor is disposed in proximity to the intracavitarily or transvenous electrode which is connected to the implanted stimulus generator such as a pacemaker or defibrillator. Upon discharge of an electrical stimulus or waveform from the implanted stimulus generator, the stimulus is conducted through the myocardial tissue to the conductor assembly where it is passively conducted to a region of the heart in contact with an end or other contacting sites of the conductive element of the passive conductor assembly which have been selected for cardiac stimulation. The passive conductor assembly can include electrical components disposed in electrical communication therewith which provide for the manipulation and / or modification of the electrical stimulus or waveform generated by the implanted stimulus generator which can be designed, for example, to selectively stimulate only neural tissue and not cardiac tissue or vice versa through the same passive conductor assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The subject invention relates to a method and apparatus for cardiac stimulation. In particular, the subject invention provides a passive conductor for use in combination with an implanted stimulating device for passively stimulating remote regions of the heart and a method of using same. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] By way of background, the application of electrical current to the heart through electrodes either applied directly to the chest or through an implanted device is well known in the art. Typical implanted devices include defibrillators and / or pacemakers. These types of devices are usually surgically implanted into a subject and an intracavitary electrode is placed within or adjacent to the heart, typically transvenously. [0003] While these implanted stimulating devices competently carry out their design task, there are many instances in which it would be desirable to electrically stimulate a portion of the heart that is either difficult to rea...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, such surgery is expensive and is associated with both mortality and morbidity of the subject.

However, this type of procedure is still complicated by the fact that the electrodes still must be connected to wires that are tunneled through the body to the pacemaker or defibrillator.

The difficulty in implementing neural stimulation of the heart has been in the development of an apparatus for the direct stimulation or inhibition of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves.

Images