Apparatus and method for adjusting heart/pacer rate relative to right ventricular systolic pressure to obtain a required cardiac output

摘要

The apparatus for pacing a heart in accordance with the heart rate needed to produce a required cardiac output while the person is exercising, comprises a pacer adapted to be implanted in a human body and having a pulse generator and control circuitry (e.g. including a microprocessor) therein, a pacing lead adapted to be implanted in a heart and having a distal electrode adapted to engage and supply pacing pulses to a right ventricle of a heart and, a pacer sensor for sensing right ventricular systolic pressure mounted on the lead. An algorithm and routine utilizing same are stored in the control circuitry (microprocessor) and are adapted to relate right ventricular systolic pressure and/or the time derivative of the pressure sensed with the required heart rate needed to supply a desired cardiac output and to cause the pacer to pace the heart at the required heart rate when the heart is not naturally paced.