IMPLANTABLE ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATOR PACEMAKER WITH ISCHEMIA DETECTOR FOR DECREASING CARDIAC WORKLOAD

摘要

A method and apparatus for stimulating the right and/or leftcarotid sinus nerves or the right stellate ganglion or the epiduralspace at about T2 with continuous and/or phasic electrical pulsesin response to detected myocardial ischemia to decrease cardiacworkload as a method to protect the myocardium. The automaticdetection of the need for such stimulation is responsive to achange in ST segment variation different from a predeterminedor programmed threshold suggesting acute myocardial ischemiaand/or other criteria or indicators of myocardial ischemia,including changes if pH and/or oxygen saturation (SO2) detectedfrom a sensor located in the heart, preferably the coronary sinus.The system is implemented with a dual chamber pacemaker withprogramming and telemetry capabilities for automaticallyrecording in memory the aforementioned values for periods oftime preceding and following each instance of stimulation fortelemetry out on command and for programming "on" one ormore of the sensors.