Patent ID: 7764999

Claim:
A method comprising: identifying a regurgitant mitral or tricuspid valve in a patient; implanting a cardiac rhythm management device in the patient for delivering pacing therapy to the heart through one or more pacing electrodes; disposing a linear electrode array structure having a plurality of pacing electrodes arranged therein so as to excite a ventricular region in proximity to the regurgitant valve in the same ventricle as the regurgitant valve; measuring an intrinsic AV interval between an atrial sense or pace and a sense in the ventricle with the regurgitant valve; computing a first programmed AV interval which optimally pre-excites the ventricular region in proximity to the regurgitant valve as a function of the measured intrinsic AV interval, wherein the first programmed AV interval is made to be shorter than the measured intrinsic AV interval and is made to vary with heart rate; and, delivering pacing therapy to the ventricular region in proximity to the regurgitant valve upon expiration of the first programmed AV interval following an atrial sense or pace to thereby pre-excite the ventricular region in proximity to the regurgitant valve relative to the rest of the ventricle during ventricular systole.