Patent ID: 8761882

Claim:
An implantable heart stimulating device comprising: a pacing circuit configured to communicate with a pacing electrode configured for positioning in or at a heart chamber, said pacing circuit being configured to pace the heart chamber via the pacing electrode; a sensing circuit that communicates with at least one sensing electrode or sensor configured to be positioned relative to said heart chamber; a control circuit being configured to detect an evoked response to a pacing pulse delivered by said pacing circuit by sensing, with said sensing circuit, within a time window that follows after a pacing pulse delivered by the pacing circuit; said control circuit being configured to operate with time cycles corresponding to cardiac cycles; said control circuit being configured to execute an automatic capture routine, which includes adaptation of a pacing regime involving said pacing circuit, dependent on the sensing with the sensing circuit during said time window; said automatic capture routing comprising delivering a back-up pacing pulse if no evoked response is sensed within a relevant time window; and said control circuit being configured to automatically temporarily disable the delivery of a back-up pacing pulse involving said pacing circuit and said sensing circuit, dependent on at least one of the following criteria: a1) if the control circuit automatically performs more than a predetermined number of threshold searches with said pacing circuit and said sensing circuit during a predetermined time, and b1) if a variable time delay, with which said control circuit operates, is changed to cause a pacing pulse to be delivered during said time window such that detection of the evoked response with said sensing circuit during said time window is likely to be unreliable.