Patent ID: 6424866
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
Apparatus for timing the delivery of a non-excitatory cardiac contractility modulating signal to a heart within a cardiac beat cycle of said heart, the apparatus is operatively connectable to a plurality of electrodes adapted to be implanted in said heart, the apparatus comprising:an excitable tissue control unit operatively connectable to at least one electrode of said plurality of electrodes for delivering said non-excitatory signal to said heart; a detecting unit operatively connectable to a first electrode of said plurality of electrodes for sensing activity in a first cardiac site and for detecting a first electrical depolarization event within said cycle, said detecting unit is also operatively connectable to a second electrode of said plurality of electrodes for sensing electrical activity in a second cardiac site and for detecting at least a second electrical depolarization event within said beat cycle; a controller unit operatively connected to said excitable tissue control unit and to said detecting unit, for controlling the operation of said excitable tissue control unit and said detecting unit, for receiving from said detecting unit signals representing the detection of said first electrical depolarization event and said second electrical depolarization event, and for controlling the applying, through at least one of said plurality of electrodes, of said non-excitatory signal to said second cardiac site or in the vicinity thereof in response to the detecting of said at least second electrical depolarization event by said detecting unit within an alert window period, said alert window period starts at a first delay from the time of detection of said first electrical depolarization event and has a first duration, said applying is delayed from the time of detecting of said at least second electrical depolarization event.