Patent ID: 7463926

Claim:
A method of operating an implantable medical device, the method comprising: i) programming an initial set of sensing parameters including at least one of an amplifier gain and a detection threshold in the device; ii) developing a signal indicative of at least one physiological process with the device; iii) evaluating the signal over time by the device so as to determine a detection pattern of the signal; iv) characterizing the detection pattern to establish if it comprises a repetition of an irregular complex; v) if a repetition of an irregular complex is established, automatically self-adjusting at least one of the amplifier gain lower and the detection threshold higher so as to define a test set of sensing parameters; and vi) iteratively repeating steps iii) through v) until a change in the characterization of the detection pattern indicates that the test set of sensing parameters has resulted in undersensing of the physiological parameter; vii) establishing an effective set of sensing parameters corresponding to the last set of sensing parameters for which undersensing did not occur.