Patent ID: 7738956
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. In an implantable system, a method for monitoring myocardial electrical stability, comprising: (a) pacing a patient's heart in accordance with a pacing sequence that includes a short beat set including N short beats that get successively shorter from the beginning to the end of the short beat set, followed by a regular beat set including a plurality of regular beats, wherein N is an integer greater than 2, wherein each said short beat is shorter than each said regular beat, and wherein each said short beat and each said regular beat is shorter than the patient's intrinsic beat or the patient's normal pacing length; (b) measuring at least one metric of T-waves in two or more beats that follow each change in beat length; (c) determining magnitudes of alternation based on the measured T-wave metrics; and (d) monitoring myocardial electrical stability based on the determined magnitudes of alternation.