Patent ID: 9278217
Filing Date: 2016-03-08
CPC Classification: A61N

Claim Text:
1. A device, comprising: neural stimulation circuitry for delivering electrostimulation pulses to one or more electrodes adapted for stimulating sympathetic nerves innervating the heart of a patient; lusitropy sensing circuitry for measuring a lusitropy parameter during diastole wherein the lusitropy parameter is selected from a rate of ventricular pressure decrease, a rate of ventricular force decrease, or isovolumic relaxation time; a controller programmed to compare the measured lusitropy parameter to a specified threshold in order to determine if diastolic relaxation is impaired and, when diastolic relaxation is impaired, enter a neural stimulation mode for operating the neural stimulation circuitry to deliver sympathetic stimulation to the heart; and, cardiac sensing circuitry for connecting to one or more electrodes to sense cardiac electrical activity and wherein the controller is connected to the cardiac sensing circuitry and programmed to measure heart rate during delivery of sympathetic stimulation and to discontinue the neural stimulation mode when the heart rate increases above a specified safety threshold value.