Patent ID: 6292691
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
A method of treating a heart in need of atrial defibrillation comprising the steps of:(a) determining local atrial fibrillation cycle lengths (AFCLs) respectively for each of a plurality of different atrial sites of a heart suffering from atrial fibrillation;(b) administering pacing to said heart by sequentially delivering a plurality of pulses of electrical current at each of said atrial pacing sites at a localized S1--S1 interval rate of approximately 70% to 99% of the related local determined AFCL, wherein said local S1--S1 interval rates are established independent of the local S1--S1 pacing rates used at other of said sites;(c) determining whether atrial defibrillation is achieved; and(d) where atrial defibrillation is not determined in step (c), repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) one or more times until atrial defibrillation is achieved.