Patent ID: 7643875
Filing Date: 2010-01-05
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. An implantable medical device for providing a baroreflex therapy to sensory nerve endings sensitive to pressure in a pulmonary artery, comprising: a neural stimulation generator to generate a baroreflex stimulation signal as part of the baroreflex therapy to elicit a desired response that reduces coronary vascular resistance and increases blood flow; a cardiac stimulation generator to generate a cardiac pacing signal; a lead to be electrically connected to the neural stimulation generator and the cardiac stimulation generator and to be intravascularly fed into a heart, the lead including a first electrode to deliver the baroreflex signal to a baroreceptor region, wherein the lead is adapted to be fed through a right ventricle and a pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery to operationally position the electrode in the pulmonary artery next to the sensory nerve endings for use in delivering the baroreflex stimulation to stimulate the sensory nerve endings, the lead further including a second electrode to be positioned to deliver the cardiac pacing signal to capture the heart; a sensor to sense a physiological parameter regarding an efficacy of the baroreflex therapy and to provide a signal indicative of the efficacy of the baroreflex therapy; and a controller connected to the neural stimulation generator to control the baroreflex stimulation signal and to the sensor to receive the signal indicative of the efficacy of the baroreflex therapy, wherein the first electrode and the neural stimulation generator are configured to target the sensory nerve endings with stimulation to stimulate the desired response, and to avoid stimulating other neural pathways to reduce undesired effects of stimulation.