US 20040260214A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0260214 A1 Echt et al. (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 23, 2004 (54) METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR Related US. Application Data VIBRATIONAL TREATMENT OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS (60) Provisional application No. 60/528,939, ?led on Dec. 10, 2003. Provisional application No. 60/496,184, (75) Inventors: Debra S. Echt, Woodside, CA (US); ?led on Aug. 18, 2003. Provisional application No. 60/479,347, ?led on Jun. 17, 2003. Axel F. Brisken, Fremont, CA (US); Richard E. Riley, Palo Alto, CA (US) Publication Classi?cation (51) Int. Cl.7 ..................................................... .. A61H 1/00 Correspondence Address: (52) US. Cl. .............................................................. .. 601/46 TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP (57) ABSTRACT TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER Methods and apparatus for cardiac pacing, cardioversion, EIGHTH FLOOR and de?brillation rely on delivering ultrasonic and other SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111-3834 (US) vibrational energy to the heart, usually after the onset of an arrhythmia. A vibrational transducer assembly is implanted (73) Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc., Mountain View, CA or applied externally so that vibrational energy can be directed toWard at least a portion of the heart from an (21) Appl. No.: 10/869,776 anterior or posterior aspect, typically being implanted over the ribs, over the sternum, betWeen the ribs, beneath the ribs, (22) Filed: Jun. 15, 2004 or on the back. 102 Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 1 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 I I CYCLES PER I I RISE BURST FALL TIME TlME FIG. 1B Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 2 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 w><0200 \l/ m.OE V1I\.I(/ .NOE > Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 3 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 4 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 0 LO Q LI 0 [I [I \ m LO (.2 LL 0 [K m w 0 F5IGA. Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 5 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 18 20 *(\\\)(\\\\)< 17 ‘ 14 16 12 FIG. 6 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ >\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\‘ ///////////////////A &\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\k‘ 3O / // / / / / / / / / / 32 FIG. 7 Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 6 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 44 by 42 I“ Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 7 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 m.GmE iBtE wR w> mm. \_ AE5 /:6 /20 %m w/20_ K: tmummmy .<OaE Eu Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 8 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 motzoz o.OwE >Axe /Emmi %>> >§8mm6‘mE5mI<<:m 5051 3mQmw Ao5wz2zm w w o . >mo_>_m__>_ Hm; 4< Patent Application Publication Dec. 23, 2004 Sheet 9 0f 11 US 2004/0260214 A1 102 FIG. 11 100
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