Patent ID: 8725259

Claim:
A device for providing vagal stimulation comprising: monitoring apparatus configured to monitor physiological parameters of a patient, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises at least one electrode configured to monitor electrical activity of the patient's heart; a sensing module operably coupled to the monitoring apparatus and configured to receive the monitored physiological parameters; a therapy delivery module configured to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve; and a control module operably coupled to the sensing module and to the therapy delivery module and configured to: detect a supraventricular tachycardia using the monitored physiological parameters, analyze, upon detecting the supraventricular tachycardia, the monitored physiological parameters for predetermined criteria before delivering electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve, wherein analyzing the monitored physiological parameters comprises: determining whether the electrical activity of the patient's heart is indicative of a ventricular arrhythmia, and determining whether the lead configured to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve is dislodged, prevent delivery of electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve if the electrical activity of the patient's heart indicates a ventricular arrhythmia or if the lead configured to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus is dislodged, deliver, if not prevented, electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve upon detecting the supraventricular tachycardia, determining whether a cardiac condition of the patient is worsening after delivering electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve upon detecting the supraventricular tachycardia, terminate the delivery of electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve if the cardiac condition of the patient is worsening, store the physiologic parameters of the patient monitored prior to the delivery of the electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve associated with the worsening of the cardiac condition of the patient after delivering electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve, and prevent, at a later time, delivery of electrical stimulation to the patient's vagus nerve if the presently monitored physiological parameters of the patient are similar to the stored physiological parameters of the patient associated with the worsening of the cardiac condition.