Cardiomyopathy treatment device with electrode therapy

Abstract

This invention relates to implantable heart sack that can be equipped with pacemaker leads and/or defibrillation leads for the treatment of cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy tachycardia, bradycardia, ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation etc. The heart sack was prepared from biocompatible, biostable, implantable polyetherurethane, polycarbonateurethane, silicone, polysiloxaneurethane, polyfluoroethylene, or hydrogenated poly(styrene-butadiene) copolymer. The heart sack is equipped with attached sutures to make it easier to attach onto the heart. The heart sack can be made semipermeable or perforated to have numerous holes. The heart sack can be reinforce with fiber or filament. Ordinary pacemaker leads can be attached to the inner side of the heart sack. However, the pacemaker leads of this invention were prepared from noble metal (gold, platinum, rhodium and platinum-Rhodium alloys) or stainless steel coated, deposited or plated mono-filaments, yarns, braids, cords, wires or films, or cylindrical tubes of polyamide, polyimide, polyester, and/or polypropylene that are encased in multi-lumen insulating tube or coaxial tube made of biocompatible, biostable, implantable polyetherurethane, polycarbonateurethane, silicone, polysiloxaneurethane, polyfluoroethylene, or hydrogenated poly(styrene-butadiene) copolymer. The leads can be mounted onto the inner surface of the heart sack and contoured to the heart. The heart sack can be coated with hydrophilic coating containing an antimicrobial agent that gives the heart sack a low coefficient of friction, excellent biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties.

1 . An apparatus for treating cardiomyopathy of a heart characterized in part by dilation of ventricles of the heart, the apparatus comprising:
 a sack for passively treating cardiomyopathy, the sack constructed of a biocompatible, stretchable and elastic material including a plurality of elongated fibers or filaments and having many holes, the material shaped and sized to circumferentially surround the heart and to cover and intimately contact substantially the entire ventricular region of the heart while exposing the heart through the many holes in the material; and   a plurality of electrodes carried on said sack and positioned to electrically contact a surface of the heart when said sack is positioned on said heart with said material surrounding said ventricles; and   said electrodes adapted to be electrically connected to an electrical impulse generator to receive electrical impulses for treating chronic heart arrhythmia.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising an implantable electrical impulse generator operably connected to the electrodes, said impulse generator adapted to generate an electrical signal to be imparted to said heart through said electrodes. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said material carries a pharmacologic agent. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said material is at least partially coated with surface coating. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein said signal is a pacing signal. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein said signal is a defibrillation signal. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said material is shaped and sized to cover an atrium of the heart. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said material includes a plurality of holes through said material. 
     
     
         9 . A cardiac reinforcement device, said device comprising:
 a sack for passively treating cardiomyopathy, the sack formed of biomedical, stretchable and elastic material including a plurality of elongated fibers or filaments and having many holes, the material configured to completely cover and intimately contact substantially an entire ventricular region of a heart while exposing the heart through the many holes in the material, said sack comprising a open base end for applying said sack to the heart such that when applied the base end is oriented toward the base of the heart and said material surrounds and contacts said ventricles; and   a plurality of stimulation electrodes on the sack and configured to contact the heart, whereby the sack is configured to resist dilation of the heart and the stimulation electrodes are capable of treating chronic cardiac arrhythmia.   
     
     
         10 . A method for treating a disease of a heart, the method comprising:
 selecting a sack adapted to be placed against a surface of the heart to passively treat cardiomyopathy, the sack comprising:   stretchable and elastic material having many holes sized and configured to cover and intimately contact substantially an entire ventricular region of the heart while exposing the heart through the many holes, the material including a plurality of elongated fibers or filaments; and   a plurality of stimulation electrodes configured to contact the heart;   surgically placing said sack on said heart with said material contacting a surface of said heart at least surrounding and intimately contacting substantially the entire ventricular region of the heart while exposing the heart through the holes, said placement including positioning said sack with said electrodes electrically contacting said heart;   applying a therapeutic electrical signal to said electrodes to treat chronic cardiac arrhythmia.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein said sack is sized and configured to cover an atrium of said heart. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein said therapeutic electrical signal is a pacing signal. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein said therapeutic electrical signal is a defibrillation signal.