Patent ID: 8412324
Filing Date: 2013-04-02
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: identifying a vulnerable ventricular region in a patient that is predisposed to becoming ischemic; implanting a cardiac pacing device having first and second electrodes; implanting the first electrode near the ventricular region vulnerable to ischemia so that a pacing pulse from the first electrode unloads the vulnerable region during systole as compared with an intrinsic beat; implanting the second electrode near a ventricular region remote from the vulnerable region so that a pacing pulse from the second electrode loads the vulnerable region during systole as compared with an intrinsic beat; configuring the device to operate in a vulnerable region unloading mode that delivers pacing pulses in accordance with an atrial tracking or AV sequential pacing mode with a specified AV delay interval through a pacing channel configured with the first electrode, a vulnerable region loading mode that delivers pacing pulses in accordance with an atrial tracking or AV sequential pacing mode with a specified AV delay interval through a pacing channel configured with the second electrode, or a normal mode that delivers no pacing pulses to either the first or second electrodes; configuring the device to sense a variable that can be correlated with the occurrence of myocardial ischemia and to detect the presence or absence of myocardial ischemia in accordance with the sensed variable; configuring the device to measure the patient's exertion level; configuring the device to intermittently switch to the vulnerable region loading mode according to a defined schedule if the sensed variable indicates the absence of myocardial ischemia and the measured exertion level is below a specified value; and, configuring the device to switch to the vulnerable region unloading mode if the sensed variable indicates the presence of myocardial ischemia.