Patent ID: 6195584
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
A method of determining the occurrence of a mis-location of an atrial electrode in a cardiac stimulation system of the type comprising a an atrial pulse generator coupled with the atrial electrode and a ventricular sense amplifier coupled to a ventricular electrode, comprising:defining a threshold PR interval;defining a threshold number of short PR intervals;operating the cardiac stimulation system to pace the atrium in a first pacing mode by employing the atrial pulse generator to provide atrial pacing pulses to the atrial electrode at a first energy level;subsequently employing the atrial pulse generator to provide higher energy atrial pacing pulses to the atrial electrode at a second, greater energy level;employing the ventricular sense amplifier to sense ventricular depolarizations following higher energy atrial pacing pulses;measuring PR intervals between higher energy atrial pacing pulses following sensed ventricular depolarizations;comparing measured PR intervals to the threshold PR interval to identify short PR intervals; anddetermining that the atrial electrode is mis-located responsive to occurrence of the threshold number of short PR intervals.