Patent ID: 7515960

Claim:
A method for operating an internal cardioverter defibrillator to terminate ventricular tachycardia, the method comprising: generating a first antitachycardia pulse routine comprising a series of pulses spaced by a first cycle length and a first final pulse spaced at a second cycle length, the second cycle length shorter than the first cycle length; if the first antitachycardia pulse routine fails to terminate the ventricular tachycardia, generating additional antitachycardia routines comprising a second series of pulses spaced by the first cycle length and a second final pulse spaced at a final cycle length, the final cycle length decreasing in successive antitachycardia routines until the ventricular tachycardia is terminated: and determining the final cycle length of the second final pulse based on a return cycle length of the ventricular tachycardia wave.