Patent ID: 7957801
Filing Date: 2011-06-07
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: delivering a ventricular pacing pulse to a heart; modulating a pacing interval at which the ventricular pacing pulse is delivered to aid in detecting whether an autonomous intrinsic signal component is present within the heart; sensing a ventricular signal response to the delivered pacing pulse; detecting whether an autonomous intrinsic signal component is present within the sensed ventricular signal response to the delivered pacing pulse; and extending the pacing interval between the delivered ventricular pacing pulse and a subsequently scheduled ventricular pacing pulse responsive to the autonomous intrinsic signal component being detected; wherein detecting whether an autonomous intrinsic signal component is present comprises: comparing a morphological characteristic of a past ventricular signal response to a past pacing pulse known to fully capture the heart to the same morphological characteristic of the sensed ventricular signal response to the delivered pacing pulse; and determining whether the ventricular signal response to the delivered pacing pulse originates from both autonomous intrinsic ventricular activity and the ventricular pacing pulse in response to the comparison of the morphological characteristics.