Patent ID: 8612000

Claim:
A cardiac pacing device, comprising: pulse generation circuitry for generating pacing pulses; sensing circuitry for sensing cardiac electrical activity; a controller for detecting cardiac events that define pacing timing intervals and for controlling the delivery of pacing pulses in accordance with a programmed mode; a switch matrix operable by the controller for connecting the pulse generation circuitry and sensing circuitry to selected electrodes in order to form selected sensing and pacing channels; wherein the controller is programmed to: sense cardiac activity through right ventricular and left ventricular sensing channels; schedule delivery of paces through left ventricular pacing channels to at least two left ventricular sites designated LV 1 and LV 2 during a cardiac cycle interval that is reset by a right ventricular sense; initiate a first left ventricular protective period for site LV 1 after a left ventricular pace to site LV 1 or after a left ventricular sense during which further paces to site LV 1 are inhibited; initiate a second left ventricular protective period for site LV 2 after a left ventricular pace to site LV 2 or after a left ventricular sense during which further paces to site LV 2 are inhibited.