Method and apparatus for treating a tachyarrhythmic patient

摘要

An implantable anti-arrhythmia system which includes a spinal cord stimulator and an implantable heart rhythm monitor, coupled to control the spinal cord stimulator. The implantable heart monitor is adapted to detect the occurrence of tachyarrhythmias or of precursors thereto and in response, trigger the operation of the spinal cord stimulator in order to prevent occurrences of tachyarrhythmias and/or as a stand-alone therapy for termination of tachyarrhythmias and/or to reduce the level of aggressiveness required of an additional therapy such as antitachycardia pacing, cardioversion or defibrillation. The device in most embodiments is expected to include a mechanism for delivering an electrical anti- tachyarrhythmia therapy such as pacing, cardioversion or defibrillation in response to detection of a tachyarrhythmia. However, in some embodiments the spinal cord stimulator may be the only electrical stimulator included in the system. In those embodiments including electronic heart stimulators for termination of tachyarrhythmias, the device may also include a single or dual chamber bradycardia pacemaker. In alternative embodiments anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy might additionally be delivered by means of an implantable drug pump.