| US 7,567,841 B2 | ||
| Method and apparatus for delivering combined electrical and drug therapies | ||
| Gregory Waimong Chan, Fairfield, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., St. Paul, Minn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 20, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/922,650. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0041276 A1, Feb. 23, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 607—30 [607/3] | 17 Claims |

| 1. A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system, comprising:
an implantable medical device including:
a pulse output circuit to deliver electrical pulses;
a drug delivery device adapted to start releasing a drug in response to a drug delivery signal, the drug delivery device including:
a drug reservoir containing a drug for treating heart failure; and
a reservoir filling port connected to the drug reservoir;
a sensor circuit to sense one or more signals indicative of a need for and an effect of the delivery of the electrical pulses
and the drug;
an implant controller, coupled to the pulse output circuit, the drug delivery device, and the sensor circuit, the implant
controller including a sensor processing circuit adapted to process the one or more signals and a therapy controller adapted
to control delivery of the electrical pulses and the drug using the processed one or more signals, the therapy controller
adapted to produce the drug delivery signal in response to at least an external command and execute a pacing algorithm adapted
to enhance one or more effects of the drug, the therapy controller adapted to control delivery of pacing pulses by alternately
executing a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) algorithm adapted to maximize a measure of hemodynamic performance and
a remodeling control therapy (RCT) algorithm adapted to alter a cardiac remodeling process; and
an implantable housing to contain the pulse output circuit, the drug delivery device, and the implant controller,
wherein the reservoir filling port is constructed on the implantable housing and includes a self-resealable portion adapted
to allow filling of the drug reservoir using a hollow needle; and
an external system including an external device, a network, and a remote device, the external device communicatively coupled
to the implantable medical device via telemetry, the network providing for communication between the external device and the
remote device, the remote device including a user input device adapted to receive the external command.
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