Atrial fibrillation detection via a ventricular lead

Abstract

Techniques for detecting atrial fibrillation via a ventricular lead are described. An implantable medical device according to the invention may monitor a ventricular depolarization rate via the ventricular lead in order to detect the effect of conducted atrial fibrillation of the ventricular rate. For example, the implantable medical device may detect an increase in the ventricular rate, or a decrease in the stability of the ventricular rate. The implantable medical device may also detect the effect of delivery of a pacing pulse on the length of an R-R interval subsequent to the delivery. A compensatory pause following delivery of a pacing pulse may indicate the presence of conducted atrial fibrillation. The implantable medical device may store information relating to detected episodes of atrial fibrillation for later review by a physician, so that atrial fibrillation may be diagnosed in situations where it might not otherwise be detected.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.