Electrical muscle controller

Abstract

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 programming a programmable controller for a heart, comprising:
 selecting a plurality of different desired effects on the heart;   applying a plurality of different non-excitatory electric field sequences to a heart;   determining a response of the heart to each of the sequences; and   programming the controller responsive to the response of the heart to the non-excitatory sequences and the desired effects.   
     
     
         2 . A method of programming a programmable controller for a heart, comprising:
 applying a plurality of different non-excitatory electric field sequences to a heart;   learning, by the controller, at least one distinctive aspect[s] of the controlled heart;   determining a therapeutic effect of said applying; and   programming the controller responsive to the response of the heart to the non-excitatory sequences and the therapeutic effect.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled)