Patent ID: 8364265

Claim:
A cardiac pacemaker, comprising: pulse generators for incorporating into first and second pacing channels; a controller for controlling the operation of the pulse generators and programmed to deliver pacing pulses to either both of the ventricles or both of the atria through the first and second pacing channels in accordance with a programmed pacing mode; a sense amplifier for incorporating into an evoked response sensing channel for sensing an evoked response generated after a pacing pulse; and, wherein the controller is programmed to: deliver first and second pacing pulses from the first and second pacing channels, respectively, during a cardiac cycle; record a test electrogram from the evoked response sensing channel during delivery of the first and second pacing pulses; compare the test electrogram with template electrograms representing the following capture events: capture of the heart by both of the first and second pacing pulses, capture by a pacing pulse delivered only from the first pacing channel, and capture by a pacing pulse delivered only from the second pacing channel; determine whether or not each of the first and second pacing pulses have achieved capture in accordance with which of the template electrograms is most similar to the test electrogram.