Patent ID: 7941215

Claim:
An electrotherapy apparatus comprising a sensor for detecting periodically recurring signal peaks, in particular the R-R peaks of an electrocardiogram of a person, a processor for deriving from a time interval between said periodically recurring signal peaks a time delay corresponding to approximately the end of the T-wave, one or more active electrodes, a trigger system initiated by an output signal of said processor or embodied within said processor for applying a train of electrical stimulation pulses to the one or more active electrodes provided on the said person at a time related to the end of said time delay, wherein the processor is adapted to generate, for each R-R period of a heart rate, a first train of electrical stimulation pulses having a first pulse repetition frequency and a first interval between successive pulses to induce an initial muscle contraction, and a plurality of further electrical stimulation pulses or groups of electrical stimulation pulses, said further electrical stimulation pulses or groups of electrical stimulation pulses being generated at intervals longer than said first interval between the pulses of the first train of electrical stimulation pulses, so that said further electrical stimulation pulses or groups of electrical simulation pulses maintain said muscle contraction with a reduced energy input, said apparatus being adapted to apply said further electrical stimulation pulses or groups of electrical stimulation pulses to said person over a period extending from said first train of electrical stimulation pulses up to a time just before a next expected R-peak, and wherein said processor is adapted to terminate said further electrical stimulation pulses at a time such that said muscle contraction finishes in a calculated window of 85% to 95% of the preceding R-R path length, or of an average value of the preceding R-R path length, after the last R-peak.