Patent ID: 8744558

Claim:
A method of causing a controller to control contraction of a heart, comprising: receiving signals, at the controller, indicating electrical activity corresponding to a contraction phase of a sinus rhythm cycle at an atrium of the heart; detecting, with the controller, depolarization of the atrium based on the received signals; detecting, with the controller, electrical activity at a second portion of the heart within a predetermined period of time relative to detection of the depolarization of the atrium of the heart, the predetermined period of time being shorter than a duration of the sinus rhythm cycle; applying to the second portion of the heart an electrical stimulation via the controller to repolarize the second portion of the heart to a voltage less than a contraction threshold when a magnitude of the electrical activity detected at the second portion of the heart exceeds a predetermined threshold within the predetermined period of time relative to the detection of the depolarization of the atrium of the heart, the electrical stimulation being applied prior to premature depolarization of the second portion of the heart in response to the electrical activity at the atrium of the heart; ceasing application of the electrical stimulation to the second portion of the heart to allow depolarization and contraction thereof during the contraction phase of the sinus rhythm cycle.