Patent ID: 7299086

Claim:
A cardiac rhythm management system comprising: a plurality of implantable electrodes including at least a first electrode and a second electrode selectable to sense a cardiac signal approximating a surface electrocardiogram (ECG); and an implantable medical device including: a sensing circuit programmed to sense the cardiac signal approximating the surface ECG in response to an ECG acquisition command, the sensing circuit including: a first sense input and a second sense input being a pair of differential inputs configured to sense the cardiac signal approximating the surface ECG; a gain programmable for at least a surface ECG gain selectable for sensing the cardiac signal approximating the surface ECG and an electrogram gain selectable for sensing an intracardiac electrogram; and a frequency response programmable for at least a surface ECG pass band selectable for sensing the cardiac signal approximating the surface ECG and an intracardiac electrogram pass band selectable for sensing an intracardiac electrogram; a processor configured to control the operation of the sensing circuit, the processor including a command receiver configured to receive the ECG acquisition command; and a programmable sense interface programmed to provide at least a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection to sense the cardiac signal approximating the surface ECG in response to the ECG acquisition command, the first electrical connection connecting the first electrode to the first sense input, the second electrical connection connecting the second electrode to the second sense input.