Patent ID: 6708062
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
A method for operating a dual-chamber pacemaker, wherein the dual chamber pacemaker is electrically coupled to a heart, the pacemaker is adapted to administer paces to the atrium (Apaces), the pacemaker receives Vsense events from the heart indicating possible premature ventricular contractions, and the pacemaker detects Vpace events indicating a ventricle has been paced but not with a safety pace, wherein the pacemaker has a trigger zone interval after the Apace for detecting Vsense events to administer a ventricular safety pace (VSP), and wherein the pacemaker includes an overall ventricular to ventricular (V2V) pacing interval for pacing the cardiac cycle, the method comprising the steps of:(a) waiting for detection of a ventricular event selected from the group consisting of Vsense and Vpace, then executing steps (b) and (c); (b) upon detection of the ventricular event, if the ventricular event is a Vsense detected during the trigger-zone, then increasing the overall pacing interval; (c) upon detection of the ventricular event, if the ventricular event is either not a Vsense or the ventricular event is detected outside the trigger-zone, and if a recent history indicates all recent pacing intervals are at least a DV2V interval, wherein the DV2V interval represents the minimum V2V interval ending in a ventricular pace that is long enough so as to not interfere with arrhythmia detection, then decreasing the overall pacing interval.