Patent ID: 8219192

Claim:
A system for pacing a heart having a myocardium in a living body having a skin, the system comprising: a transcutaneous cardiac stimulation device including: a pacing output circuit configured to produce pacing pulses suitable for capturing the heart by transcutaneous delivery; and a pacing control circuit coupled to the pacing output circuit and configured to control the transcutaneous delivery of the pacing pulses by executing a pacing protocol, the pacing control circuit including a pacing protocol module and the pacing protocol stored in the pacing protocol module, the pacing protocol including a cardioprotective pacing protocol specifying a pacing mode adapted to augment mechanical stress on the myocardium to a level effecting cardioprotection against myocardial injury using the pacing pulses; and a plurality of body-surface electrodes including a pacing electrode set electrically wired to the pacing output circuit, the body-surface electrodes configured to be attached onto the skin, the pacing electrode set including at least two electrodes through which the pacing pulses are transcutaneously delivered to the heart.