Electrical muscle controller
View Patent ↗A method of modifying the force of contraction of at least a portion of a heart chamber, including providing a subject having a heart, comprising at least a portion having an activation, and applying a non-excitatory electric field having a given duration, at a delay after the activation, to the portion, which causes the force of contraction to be increased by a least 5%.
1. A method of cardiac reshaping, comprising:
determining a desired target change in distribution of muscle mass in a heart; and
applying one or more non-excitatory electric fields to the heart such that said distribution is changed, at least in part, thereby.
2. A method according to claim 1 , comprising sensing at least one cardiac parameter by a sensor and modifying said applying, in response to said sensing.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises applying using a device with plurality of electrodes and selecting a subset of said plurality of electrodes for said applying, based on said determining.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises applying for at least two weeks.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises selecting a frequency of application, so said applying comprises applying not at every beat.
6. A method according to claim 1 , comprising modifying said desired target distribution after a few weeks from an initiation of said applying.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises modifying one or both of a preload and an afterload of the heart.
8. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said modifying is in response to an adaptation of the heart to said applying or as a function of time.
9. A method according to claim 1 , comprising modifying said applying in response to a change in the heart.
10. A method according to claim 1 , comprising periodically varying said applying.
11. A method according to claim 1 , comprising stopping said applying in response to reaching said target.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises directly modifying a workload on a segment of the heart.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises indirectly modifying a workload on a segment of the heart.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises modifying a stress on a segment of the heart.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises modifying a duration of an action potential plateau of a segment of the heart.
16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises modifying a contractility of a segment of the heart.
17. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises redistributing one or more local physiological values.
18. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises increasing cardiac output.
19. A method according to claim 1 , comprising also controlling arrhythmia using one or more non-excitatory electric fields.
20. A method according to claim 1 , comprising storing a long-term therapeutic goal in a memory of a controller which controls said applying.
21. A method according to claim 1 , wherein redistributing comprises increasing muscle mass at a desired location.
22. A method according to claim 1 , comprising changing a location of electrodes used to provide said applying responsive to said desired target.
23. A method according to claim 1 , comprising increasing an efficiency of said heart by said applying.
24. A method according to claim 1 , comprising strengthening said heart by said applying.
25. A method according to claim 1 , comprising selection a desired activation profile to be created by said applying.
26. A method according to claim 25 , wherein said activation profile includes a change in one or more of conduction pattern, or distribution and timing of activation.
27. Implantable apparatus for cardiac reshaping programmed to perform the applying of claim 1 .