Patent ID: 8538518

Claim:
A cardiac stimulator configured to deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy or CRT stimulation and cardiac contractility modulation therapy or CCM stimulation comprising: at least one stimulation unit configured to connect to one or more stimulation electrodes, and which is further configured to generate stimulation pulses to be delivered via at least one stimulation electrode in response to a related trigger signal; a cardiac rhythm detection unit configured to detect at least one atrial cardiac rhythm; and, a control unit connected to the at least one stimulation unit and the cardiac rhythm detection unit, and which is configured to control a delivery of a stimulation pulse via the at least one stimulation unit such that the cardiac stimulator is configured to deliver above-threshold stimulation pulses to stimulate contraction of a ventricle, and to deliver sub-threshold stimulation pulses for cardiac contraction modulation therapy; and control the at least one stimulation unit in response to detection of atrial cardiac arrhythmia by the cardiac rhythm detection unit, to deliver said sub-threshold stimulation pulses for the cardiac contraction modulation therapy and, in response to detection of a sinus rhythm by the cardiac rhythm detection unit, control the at least one stimulation unit to deliver said above-threshold stimulation pulses to stimulate a contraction of the ventricle, but not sub-threshold pulses for the cardiac contraction modulation therapy; wherein the cardiac rhythm detection unit can either detect a sinus rhythm that is present, or classify an atrial arrhythmia, and which comprises a therapy selection unit, wherein the therapy selection unit selects the delivery of either CRT stimulation or CCM stimulation based on classification of atrial rhythm such that CRT stimulation is delivered in the case of the sinus rhythm, and CCM stimulation is delivered in the case of the atrial cardiac arrhythmia.