Patent ID: 7756577

Claim:
An implantable cardiac stimulation device comprising: a mechanical stimulation component operative to provide mechanical stimulation to a patient's heart; an electrical stimulation component including an implantable electrical pulse generator and at least one electrode adapted to be implanted within the patient and connected to the electrical pulse generator so as to provide electrical stimulation to the heart of the patient; at least one sensor that senses a parameter indicative of function of the patient's heart; and a controller that uses signals from the at least one sensor to determine an untreated intrinsic heart rate corresponding to the patient's heart rate prior to provision of mechanical stimulation, the controller programmed to induce the mechanical stimulation component to provide mechanical stimulation at a first rate derived from the untreated intrinsic heart rate, and the electrical stimulation component to provide electrical stimulation at a second rate derived from the untreated intrinsic heart rate.