Patent ID: 7499748

Claim:
An implantable apparatus for transvasculary stimulating a vagus nerve trunk in a cervical region from an internal jugular vein (IJV) to provide a therapy to inhibit heart failure remodeling, the apparatus comprising: an expandable electrode chronically implantable in the IJV, the expandable electrode configured to abut an intravascular surface of the IJV in the cervical region proximate the vagus nerve trunk; an electrical lead coupled to the expandable electrode, the electrical lead adapted to be intravascularly fed into the IJV; an implantable pulse generator coupled to the lead and configured to deliver an electrical stimulation signal to the electrode through the lead, wherein the apparatus is configured to transvascularly stimulate the vagus nerve trunk from the IJV; and a controller adapted to control the pulse generator to deliver a programmable electrical pulse therapy to inhibit heart failure remodeling, wherein the therapy to inhibit heart failure remodeling includes stimulating to the vagus nerve in the cervical region.