Patent ID: 8545414

Claim:
A method of modulating the function of a cardiac valve in a heart and using a cardiac pacing protocol or routine for cardiac pacing, said method comprising: (a) structurally altering said cardiac valve for modulating a function thereof; (b) monitoring blood flow velocity by an implanted blood flow velocity measuring device through said structurally altered cardiac valve; (c) pacing said heart by an implanted cardiac pacing device in response to said monitoring to modulate function of said cardiac valve; and (d) receiving blood flow velocity information from said implanted blood flow velocity measuring device by an implanted processing element in operational communication with said blood flow velocity measuring device and said cardiac pacing device, said implanted processing element transmitting data relating to a cardiac pacing protocol or routine to said implanted cardiac pacing device by selecting the cardiac pacing protocol or routine based on predetermined blood flow velocity information, wherein said implanted processing element is operative without operator evaluation of the blood flow velocity information to automatically modulate the activity of said implantable cardiac pacing device using the selected cardiac pacing protocol or routine.