Patent ID: 8706220
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: A61B,A61N,G16H

Abstract:
1. A method for operating an implantable medical device (IMD) to treat a tachyarrhythmia in a heart including an atrium and a ventricle, the method comprising: classifying a tachyarrhythmia of the heart based on one or more supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) rejection rules, wherein at least one of the one or more SVT rejection rules differentiates between a first group of tachyarrhythmias that do not require treatment and a second group of tachyarrhythmias that possibly require treatment; and after classifying the tachyarrhythmia as being within the second group of tachyarrhythmias based on the one or more SVT rejection rules, performing diagnostic/therapeutic pacing to further discriminate the tachyarrhythmia as being within a first sub-group of tachyarrhythmias or a second sub-group of tachyarrhythmias which are to be treated by applying a ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) therapy sequence, wherein performing diagnostic/therapeutic pacing to further discriminate the tachyarrhythmia as being within the first sub-group of tachyarrhythmias or the second sub-group of tachyarrhythmias comprises: determining a first one of an atria or a ventricle to respond with an electrical event to the diagnostic/therapeutic pacing; and determining that the tachyarrhythmia is within the first sub-group of tachyarrhythmias or the second sub-group of tachyarrhythmias based on the first one of the atria or the ventricle to respond with the electrical event to the diagnostic/therapeutic pacing.