Patent ID: 6845269

Claim:
A method for operating a medical device including a pacemaker, the method comprising: operating the pacemaker in a first programmed mode including: detecting first cardiac events from a first sensing channel; and inhibiting or triggering a first pacing pulse at a first pacing channel when each of the first cardiac events is detected; applying a refractory period to a second sensing channel to time a transition after which the pacemaker is ready for operation in a second programmed mode; switching to operating the pacemaker in the second programmed mode upon detecting a second cardiac event from the second sensing channel after the refractory period expires, the second programmed mode allowing a sensing test including detection of at least the second cardiac event through the second sensing channel, wherein the detection of the at least the second cardiac event does not inhibit or trigger any pacing pulse; and operating the pacemaker in the first programmed mode upon completion of the sensing test.