Patent ID: 7236824

Claim:
A method for nodal rhythm detection and treatment for a mammalian heart, comprising: determining nodal rhythm treatment is required; determining that an atrial event is an atrial sense; determining whether the atrial event precedes a ventricular event; determining a mean ventricular rate; determining a paced AV interval; determining an AV interval if the atrial event precedes the ventricular event; determining a VA interval if the atrial event follows the ventricular event; calculating a new atrial escape interval by subtracting the paced AV interval from the sum of the AV interval and the mean ventricular rate, if the atrial event precedes the ventricular event; calculating the new atrial escape interval by subtracting the paced AV interval and the VA interval from the mean ventricular rate, if the atrial event follows the ventricular event; summing the consecutive times atrial events occur more than a first time limit before the ventricular event, if the atrial event precedes the ventricular event, and the consecutive times atrial events occur more than a second time limit after the ventricular event, if the atrial event follows the ventricular event; and ending nodal rhythm treatment if a nodal treatment sinus deactivation constant is less than the sum of consecutive atrial events.