43 results about "Ventricular function" patented technology

Apparatus and method for the treatment of congestive heart failure are disclosed that utilize a cuff that surrounds the heart and constrains cardiac dilation, while electrodes embedded in the cuff stimulate the myocardium to contractile function. An EKG signal can be processed to create an optimal pattern of selective stimulation of different areas of the heart at different times. An implantable circuit contains a power source and stimulation circuits. In some embodiments, a telemetry unit and an EKG collection circuit are also included. In accordance with the present disclosure, cuff limits the dilation of the heart and the stimulation electrodes enhance ventricular function by optimizing ventricular contractility.

The progression or regression of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) is automatically evaluated by a pacemaker or other implantable cardiac stimulation device by tracking changes in the resting sinus rate of the patient in which the device is implanted. The resting sinus rate is detected by first determining whether the patient is in a state of profound rest, such as sleep, then measuring the actual sinus rate during profound rest. Profound rest may be detected by using an activity variance sensor. An increase in the profound rest sinus rate over a period of several months indicates progression of LVD; whereas a decrease indicates regression. Appropriate LVD diagnostic information is recorded for subsequent review by a physician. Based on the progression or regression of LVD, the physician may then modify LVD drug therapy administered to the patient or may adjust control parameters of the pacemaker, such as overdrive pacing control parameters or control parameters affecting heart contractility via post-extrasystolic potentiation. If a drug pump is implanted within the patient for automatically delivering LVD drug therapy, the pacemaker controls the drug pump in view of any detected progression or regression of LVD. The technique may also be used to verify the efficacy of LVD drug therapy administered to the patient, whether delivered via an implanted drug pump or otherwise. Processing may be primarily performed within the implanted device itself or with an external programmer in communication with the implanted device. Activity state-based LVD tracking techniques are also set forth.

An approach is disclosed for improving ventricular function of a patient's heart. According to one embodiment, the system includes a pouch that defines a chamber dimensioned and configured to simulate at least a portion of a heart chamber. The pouch has a sidewall portion extending from an inflow annulus and terminating in a closed distal end spaced apart from the inflow annulus. A generally cylindrical outflow portion extends from the sidewall portion of the pouch and terminating in an outflow annulus thereof to provide for flow of fluid from the chamber through the outflow annulus. A valve is operatively associated with the inflow annulus of the pouch to provide for substantially unidirectional flow of fluid through the inflow annulus and into the chamber.

A method for monitoring a right atrial pressure (RAP) and a left atrial pressure (LAP) for diagnosis of a heart condition includes positioning a transseptal device with respect to a pulmonary artery to monitor at least one flow characteristic of blood through the pulmonary artery. The transseptal device is configured to generate one or more signals representative of the at least one flow characteristic. A right ventricular end diastolic pressure (RVEDP) and a left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) are detected to facilitate monitoring the heart condition.

Method and systems related to monitoring right ventricular function during pacing by a cardiac rhythm management device are described. One or more pacing parameters are selected to provide cardiac resynchronization therapy. For example, the one or more pacing parameters may be selected to provide an optimal or improved therapy. The heart is paced using the selected pacing parameters. While pacing with the selected parameters, pressure is sensed via a pressure sensor disposed the pulmonary artery. The sensed pressure is analyzed to determine right ventricular function achieved during the pacing using the selected pacing parameters. A signal, such as an alert signal or control signal, is generated based on the right ventricular function achieved during the pacing.

A medical device comprises a pump adapted to fit within an atrium of a heart, said pump comprising an inlet and an outlet. The device further comprises a flexible outflow conduit coupled to said outlet. A method of assisting ventricular function of a heart of a patient comprises: a) inserting a continuous flow pump having an inlet and an outlet into the heart via a subclavian or jugular vein; b) attaching the outlet of the continuous flow pump to an atrial septum, wherein the inlet of the continuous flow pump is directed into a heart atrium; c) attaching the distal end of the outflow conduit to an artery; and d) operating the pump at a volumetric rate ranging from about 2 L/min to about 3 L/min.

A method for assessing cardiac function using an ultrasound imaging catheter system includes positioning an ultrasound catheter so the ultrasound transducer can image a ventricle, obtaining images of the ventricle at two or more times within the cardiac cycle, recognizing an edge of the endocardium, measuring dimensions of the ventricle, calculating a volume or area of the ventricle at the two or more points in the cardiac cycle, and calculating the ejection fraction based upon the difference in volume or area at the two or more times in the cardiac cycle. The method can be used to determine a location for an intervention, such as placement of a pacemaker pacing lead, and may be performed before and after an intervention to assess the impact of the treatment on cardiac function.

The present invention demonstrates that continuous hemodynamic monitoring can be used to identify the optimal AV-delay in a pacemaker-treated patient with end stage heart failure. The AV-delay determines the timing of late diastolic filling in relation to the onset of ventricular contraction and the duration of diastolic filling. An optimal tuning of the AV-delay improves left ventricular filling pressures in patients with a DDD-programmed pacemaker and is particularly important in the presence of a compromised left ventricular function. It has been discovered that using the lowest ePAD pressure, an indirect parameter of the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, as an indicator for the optimal AV interval. Importantly, measurements of the ePAD revealed the same optimal AV-delay as echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular diastolic filling by standard echocardiographic methods. Importantly, the HR determined as optimal during the acute hemodynamic test did not turn out to be optimal during daily living activities.

The present invention is primarily directed towards an anatomically-compatible and physiologically-compatible in vivo device for improving diastolic function of either the left or right ventricle of the heart, wherein said device comprises at least one elastic component in the form of a lattice capable of being arranged in a curved conformation such that one surface of said lattice may be adapted to the curvature of the external ventricular surface of the heart, or a portion thereof, and wherein said at least one elastic component is capable of being operatively connected to the external ventricular surface of the heart by means of one or more connecting elements.

The present invention provides methods of treating diabetic cardiomyopathy, the methods comprising administering to a patient having or at risk of having diabetic cardiomyopathy a therapeutically effective amount of a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor. The present invention also provides methods of treating diabetic cardiomyopathy, the methods comprising administering to a patient having 1) diabetes and 2) having cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, congestive heart failure but not having coronary arteriosclerosis, hypertension, diastolic blood pressure abnormalities, microvascular diabetic complications, abnormal left ventricular function, myocardial fibrosis, abnormal cardiac function, pulmonary congestion, small vessel disease, small vessel disease without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or luminal narrowing, coagulopathy, cardiac contusion, or having had or at risk of having a myocardial infarction a therapeutically effective amount of a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor.

A method of determining ventricular dysfunction, particularly right ventricular dysfunction and device for determining dysfunction of the heart and determining a cardiac output are discussed. Furthermore a system for determining the pressure(s) and/or the pressure difference gradient between right ventricular diastolic pressure and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure said system comprising a support member (10) adapted to determine the pressure(s) and/or the pressure difference gradient between right ventricular diastolic pressure and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure said support member comprising pressure ports (14, 16) at two spaced apart points wherein the pressure ports provide an input to a monitor wherein the monitor can determine at least one of i) a modulation in the pressure difference gradient between right ventricular diastolic pressure and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure between the first and second later period, and ii) a modulation in the right ventricular diastolic pressure and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure between the first and second later period is discussed.

This invention provides a system and a method for monitoring a patient's Formation number (Fn) and comparing the measured Fn to the baseline data of healthy persons population or to the patient's past history data to assess the degree of ventricular and/or valvular dysfunction, wherein the valvular dysfunction may comprise dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, or the like.

The invention discloses a composition based on stem cells and application thereof in preparing preparation for the coronary heart disease. The composition based on the stem cells includes the stem cells prepared through an optimizing method and cell preserving liquid serving as a solvent. Firstly, proper stem cells are selected; secondly, the selected stem cells are further processed through the optimizing method; lastly, the stem cells are collected and resuspended in the cell preserving liquid. A various cell implanting method is adopted in the application of the composition based on the stem cells in preparing the preparation for the coronary heart disease, the time nodes before an operation, during the operation and after the operation are combined, and it is ensured that the transplanted stem cells can give the full play. The optimizing method is used for preparing the stem cells and the stem cell composition in the cell preserving liquid, the ventricle function can be extremely obviously enhanced after cell transplantation, and the left ventricle reconstitution is restrained. The optimal cell composition is provided for treating the coronary heart disease, the source is wide, preparation is simple, toxic and side effects are avoided, and the transplanting effect is good.

Systems and methods are provided for determining a right ventricular transit time for a patient. An echodense contrast is injected into a patient. A first representative region, representing the right ventricle of the patient, is selected. A second representative region, representing the bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery, is selected. Respective first and second time series of intensity values for the first and second representative regions are generated via echocardiography. The right ventricular transit time is determined from the first and second time series of intensity values. The right ventricular transit time is displayed to a user.

The invention is a multi-purpose system and methods that focuses on the prevention of congestive heart failure (CHF) exacerbations by identifying the population at risk, examining their use of medications that optimize ventricular function, tracking weight changes through different phases of illness, and retrieving vital sign and laboratory data needed for treatment intensification.

A system, method and apparatus for detecting a cardiac event in a subject, may include at least one electrode attached to the subject for obtaining an electrocardiogram of the subject's heart, and determination means for determining a size of an area under a QRS complex of the electrocardiogram. The at least one electrode may be attached to the subject's skin or to the subject's heart. Preferably, the determination means for determining the size of the area under the QRS complex of the electrocardiogram is either visual or quantitative. The subject may be a human being or an animal. The size of the area under the QRS complex of the electrocardiogram determined by the determination means is directly proportional to the mass of a viable myocardium in the subject's heart. The cardiac event that may be detected may be degenerative cardiomyopathy, acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, myocardial ischaemia, or compromised ventricular function.

An implantable medical device identifies onset and/or progression of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). The implantable medical device receives a signal that represents electrical activity within a heart, e.g., an electrogram signal, and digitally processes the signal to assess left ventricular function. In particular, the implantable medical device measures at least one characteristic of QRS complexes within the signal, and assesses left ventricular function based on measurements. The implantable medical device may, for example, measure the width of the QRS complexes and/or the amplitude of the R-waves within the QRS complexes. The implantable medical device may alert a patient or clinician of the onset or progression of LVD, and may control delivery of therapies, such as rate-responsive pacing and cardiac resynchronization pacing, based on the measurements. The implantable medical device may also control delivery of a drug by an implanted drug delivery device, e.g., drug pump, based on the measurements.

The invention discloses an intractable heart failure left ventricular function auxiliary device. Various straws and cavity tunnels are designed in a suction head, outer sucking holes are formed in thelower wall and the outer side of the suction head, a straw is led to a proximal end conical cavity inwards, a one-way valve is designed at a position communicated with the cavity in a pipeline of thestraw, the straw is communicated with an inner cavity of an air bag through the one-way valve, a single channel is connected with the drop-shaped suction head in a straw valve crossing section, a distal end is communicated with an air bag chamber, four one-way valves are arranged on the outer wall of the trapezoid side surface of a capsule and communicated with an inner cavity of the air bag chamber through channels, conical upper end is connected with an air-space tunnel through a trachea, branch tracheae pass the air bag chamber downwards and are opened on the inner side of the wall of theair bag and converged into a main trachea upwards, the main trachea is communicated with outside thought an artery, and the lower end of a guide wire is communicated with the drop-shaped suction head.The device has the advantages that the device can continuously work under the condition of left ventricular function loss, and time is bought for clinical rescue or heart transplantation.