Intravascular parasympatheticstimulation for atrial cardioversion

1 - 78 . (canceled)

79 . Apparatus comprising:

an electrode device, configured to be coupled to a site of a subject containing parasympathetic nervous tissue; and

circuitry, configured to:

be placed in a blood vessel of the subject, and

responsively to a detection of an episode of non-sinus atrial tachycardia, restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR) of the subject, by:

driving the electrode device to apply a parasympathetic stimulation signal to the site, and

configuring the parasympathetic stimulation signal to activate the parasympathetic nervous tissue sufficiently to restore the NSR.

80 . The apparatus according to claim 79 , wherein the blood vessel includes a vena cava of the subject, and wherein the circuitry is configured to be placed within the vena cava.

81 . The apparatus according to claim 79 , comprising a housing, which comprises the circuitry and the electrode device, wherein the housing is configured to be placed in the blood vessel.

82 . The apparatus according to claim 79 , and comprising a non-implantable transmitter, configured to transmit a wireless signal responsively to the detection of the episode of non-sinus atrial tachycardia, wherein the electrode device is implantable, and wherein the circuitry is configured to:

receive the wireless signal, and

responsively to the wireless signal, restore the NSR by driving the electrode device to apply the parasympathetic stimulation signal.

83 . The apparatus according to claim 82 , wherein the blood vessel includes a vena cava of the subject, and wherein the circuitry is configured to be placed within the vena cava.

84 . The apparatus according to claim 82 , comprising:

a physiological sensor, configured to sense a physiological parameter of the subject; and

a non-implantable monitor, configured to perform the detection of the episode responsively to the sensed physiological parameter.

85 . The apparatus according to claim 82 , wherein the wireless signal includes one or more parameters of the parasympathetic stimulation signal.

86 . The apparatus according to claim 82 , wherein the wireless signal includes power sufficient to power the electrode device.

87 . The apparatus according to claim 82 , comprising a housing, which comprises the circuitry and the electrode device, wherein the housing is configured to be placed in the blood vessel.

88 - 90 . (canceled)

91 . Apparatus comprising:

an esophageal electrode device, configured to be placed in an esophagus of a subject in a vicinity of at least one vagus nerve of the subject; and

circuitry, configured to:

drive the electrode device to apply an electrical current to a wall of the esophagus, and

configure the current to stimulate the at least one vagus nerve.

92 - 178 . (canceled)

179 . A method comprising:

placing circuitry in a blood vessel of a subject;

detecting an episode of non-sinus atrial tachycardia of the subject; and

responsively to the detecting, restoring normal sinus rhythm (NSR) of the subject, by:

driving, by the circuitry, application of a parasympathetic stimulation signal to a site of the subject containing parasympathetic nervous tissue, and

configuring the parasympathetic stimulation signal to activate the parasympathetic nervous tissue sufficiently to restore the NSR.

180 . The method according to claim 179 , wherein the blood vessel includes a vena cava of the subject, and wherein placing the circuitry comprises placing the circuitry within the vena cava.

181 . The method according to claim 179 , and comprising:

transmitting, from outside a body of the subject, a wireless signal responsively to the detecting; and

receiving the wireless signal by the circuitry, wherein restoring the NSR comprises restoring the NSR responsively to the wireless signal.

182 . The method according to claim 181 , wherein the blood vessel includes a vena cava of the subject, and wherein placing the circuitry comprises placing the circuitry within the vena cava.

183 . The method according to claim 181 , wherein the wireless signal includes one or more parameters of the parasympathetic stimulation signal.

184 . The method according to claim 181 , wherein the wireless signal includes power sufficient to power the application of the parasympathetic stimulation signal.

185 . (canceled)

186 . A method comprising:

applying, from within an esophagus of a subject, an electrical current to a wall of the esophagus in a vicinity of at least one vagus nerve of the subject; and

configuring the current to stimulate the at least one vagus nerve.