Patent ID: 7248925

Claim:
A method for determining an atrioventricular delay value for use in delivering cardiac pacing therapy to a heart of a patient in which an implantable cardiac stimulation device is implanted, the method comprising: determining an inter-atrial conduction delay for the patient; determining an intrinsic atrioventricular conduction delay for the patient; and determining an atrioventricular delay value for use in pacing based on the inter-atrial conduction delay and the intrinsic atrioventricular conduction delay; wherein determining the inter-atrial conduction delay for the patient comprises: determining a width of an electrical atrial event; and deriving the inter-atrial conduction delay from the width of the atrial event; wherein determining the width of the atrial event comprises: inputting an atrial intracardiac electrogram (A-IEGM) signal derived from a lead implanted within the atria of the patient; inputting a surface electrocardiogram (EKG) signal derived from leads mounted externally on the patient; determining a value representative of the duration of an atrial event detected within the A-IEGM signal; and adjusting the value based on a comparison of the A-IEGM signal and the EKG signal.