Patent ID: 6337995
Filing Date: 2002-01-08
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
An implantable cardiac stimulator to perform atrial defibrillation, the cardiac stimulator comprising:sensor adapted to sense the onset of atrial fibrillation; recorder adapted to record a baseline of cardiac activity; processor adapted to determining whether capture has occurred; and electrodes adapted to stimulate the atrium after the onset of atrial fibrillation has been sensed, wherein, in the event it is determined that capture has not occurred, the atrium is stimulated using a pre-capture stimulation protocol, wherein, in the event it is determined that capture has occurred, the atrium is stimulated using a post-capture stimulation protocol, and wherein the pre-capture stimulation protocol and the post-capture stimulation protocol comprise a procedure, the procedure being selected from the group consisting of: pre-capture stimulation at threshold with post-capture stimulation at threshold, pre-capture stimulation subthreshold with post-capture stimulation subthreshold, and pre-capture stimulation at threshold with post-capture stimulation subthreshold.