Treatment of congestive heart failure with electrical stimulation, and associated systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating congestive heart failure with high frequency stimulation are disclosed. A representative method for treating a patient includes applying an electrical signal having a frequency of from about 1 kHz to about 100 kHz to the patient via a treatment system that includes a signal delivery element in electrical communication with the patient's vagus nerve at a portion of the vagus nerve located at or proximate to the anterior interventricular junction of the patient's heart. The method can further include automatically detecting at least one physiological parameter of the patient, automatically determining at least one of an ejection fraction of the patient's heart and a correlate of the ejection fraction based on the detected parameter, and automatically adjusting the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method for treating congestive heart failure in a patient, comprising:
 applying an electrical signal to the patient's vagus nerve via a signal delivery element positioned in electrical communication with the patient's vagus nerve at a portion of the vagus nerve located at or proximate to the anterior interventricular junction of the patient's heart, wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of from about 1 kHz to about 100 kHz, and wherein the electrical signal excites the vagus nerve;   detecting at least one physiological parameter of the patient via one or more sensing elements;   based on the detected parameter, determining an ejection fraction indicator that is at least one of an ejection fraction of the patient's heart or a correlate of the ejection fraction; and   adjusting the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction indicator.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the signal delivery device is positioned at or proximate to the atrial-ventricular fat pads of the patient's heart. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50  wherein adjusting the applied signal includes stopping application of the applied signal in response to detecting an ejection fraction indicator greater than or equal to a target ejection fraction indicator threshold. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50  wherein adjusting the applied signal includes decreasing an amplitude of the applied signal and/or decreasing a pulse width of the applied signal in response to detecting an ejection fraction indicator greater than or equal to a target ejection fraction indicator threshold. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50  wherein adjusting the applied signal includes increasing an amplitude of the applied signal and/or increasing a pulse width of the applied signal in response to detecting an ejection fraction indicator less than a target ejection fraction indicator threshold. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50  wherein adjusting the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction indicator includes automatically adjusting the applied signal. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the at least one detected parameter includes at least one of the patient's heart rate, the patient's blood pressure, and the patient's blood flow rate. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the frequency range is from about 3 kHz to about 20 kHz. 
     
     
         58 . A method for treating congestive heart failure in a patient, comprising:
 applying an electrical signal to the patient's vagus nerve to increase a contraction strength of a left ventricle and/or a right ventricle of the patient's heart, via a signal delivery element positioned in electrical communication with the patient's vagus nerve at a portion of the vagus nerve located at or proximate to the anterior interventricular junction of the patient's heart, wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of from about 1 kHz to about 100 kHz;   detecting at least one physiological parameter of the patient via one or more sensing elements;   based on the detected parameter, determining an ejection fraction indicator that is at least one of an ejection fraction of the patient's heart or a correlate of the ejection fraction; and   adjusting the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction indicator.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the signal delivery element is positioned at or proximate to the atrial-ventricular fat pads of the patient's heart. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein:
 detecting the physiological parameter includes detecting the patient's heart rate; and 
 adjusting the applied signal includes increasing at least one of an amplitude of the applied signal and a pulse width of the applied signal in response to the increase in the patient's heart rate. 
 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58  wherein adjusting the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction indicator includes automatically adjusting the applied signal. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 58  wherein applying the electrical signal increases a contraction strength of the left ventricle. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the frequency range is from about 5 kHz to about 15 kHz. 
     
     
         64 . A method for treating congestive heart failure in a patient, comprising:
 programming a patient treatment system to:
 deliver an electrical signal to the patient's vagus nerve via a signal delivery element positioned in electrical communication with the patient's vagus nerve at a portion of the vagus nerve located at or proximate to the anterior interventricular junction of the patient's heart, wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of from about 1 kHz to about 100 kHz, and wherein the electrical signal increases a contraction strength of a left ventricle and/or a right ventricle of the patient's heart; 
 receive at least one physiological parameter of the patient detected via one or more sensing elements; 
 based on the received physiological parameter, determine an ejection fraction indicator that is at least one of an ejection fraction of the patient's heart or a correlate of the ejection fraction; and 
 adjust the applied signal based on the determined ejection fraction indicator. 
   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64  wherein the patient treatment system includes an implantable signal generator, and wherein programming the patient treatment system to deliver the electrical signal includes programming the implantable signal generator to deliver the electrical signal. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64  wherein programming the patient treatment system to adjust the applied signal includes programming the patient treatment system to automatically adjust the applied signal. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 64  wherein programming the patient treatment system to adjust the applied signal includes programming the patient treatment system to:
 decrease an amplitude and/or a pulse width of the applied signal in response to detecting an ejection fraction indicator greater than or equal to a target ejection fraction indicator threshold; and 
 increase the amplitude and/or the pulse width in response to detecting an ejection fraction indicator less than a target ejection fraction indicator threshold. 
 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 64  wherein the electrical signal upregulates neural tissue at or proximate the patient's coronary sinus. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 64  wherein the electric signal increases the contraction strength of the left ventricle.