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US 2003/0144698 A1Published application
Method and arrangement for using atrial pacing to prevent early recurrence of atrial fibrillation
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsMichael R. Ujhelyi, David E. Euler, David A. Casavant, Nirav V. Sheth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for preventing early recurrence of atrial fibrillation by pacing a heart in AAI mode at a rate faster than the intrinsic rate for a selected period of time immediately after delivering therapy to terminate the fibrillation. Ventricular backup pacing in VVI mode may also be provided during the atrial pacing.
Claims24
A method of preventing recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a heart, comprising:
- a.) delivering a predetermined therapy to terminate AF;
- and
- b.) pacing the atrium at a pacing rate that is higher than an intrinsic rate following therapy delivery of step a.).
A method of preventing atrial fibrillation recurrence with an implanted medical device comprising:
- in response to a first atrial fibrillation event in an atrium of a heart, applying an electrical cardioverting therapy to the atrium;
- and
- in response to the electrical cardioverting therapy, pacing the heart with an atrial overdrive pacing therapy and switching the implanted medical device to a cardiac sensing mode that senses the atrium and a ventricle, wherein the implanted medical device is preprogrammed before the first atrial fibrillation event to automatically switch to the cardiac sensing mode.
A system for preventing atrial fibrillation recurrence comprising:
- a therapy circuit to delivery therapy in response to detected atrial fibrillation;
- and
- a control circuit coupled to the therapy circuit to control delivery of pacing to an atrium in AAI mode at a rate faster than the instrinsic rate following the therapy delivery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.