| US 7,522,958 B2 | ||
| Methods and systems for reducing discomfort from cardiac defibrillation shocks | ||
| Raymond E. Ideker, Birmingham, Ala. (US); and Gregory P. Walcott, Wilsonville, Ala. (US) | ||
| Assigned to UAB Research Foundation, Birmingham, Ala. (US) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 13, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/388,211. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0155334 A1, Jul. 13, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61N 1/39 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 607—5 | 12 Claims |
| 1. A method for reducing discomfort associated with atrial defibrillation comprising:
delivering a preparatory shock to the atria of the heart of a subject experiencing arrhythmia to contract the atria to reduce
a blood volume in the atria for a time period subsequent to the shock; and then
delivering an atrial defibrillation shock to the atria of the heart after the preparatory shock during contraction of the
atria, wherein the preparatory shock has a strength less than the defibrillation shock.
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