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US 2011/0087303 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for pacing mode switching during atrial tachyarrhythmias
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey E. Stahmann, Andrew P. Kramer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for operating a cardiac pacemaker in which the mode of operation of the pacemaker is altered in response to detecting an episode of atrial tachycardia. In accordance with the invention, the pacemaker's pacing mode is altered in a manner that attempts to maintain hemodynamic stability during the atrial tachycardia. Such a mode switch is particularly applicable to pacemaker patients suffering from some degree of congestive heart failure.
Claims20
A method for operating a cardiac pacemaker, comprising:
- sensing atrial depolarizations through an atrial sensing channel;
- sensing ventricular depolarizations through one or more ventricular sensing channels;
- pacing a ventricle in accordance with a particular primary pacing mode that delivers paces to only one ventricle;
- switching the pacemaker to an atrial fibrillation pacing mode upon detection of an atrial tachyarrhythmia, wherein the atrial fibrillation mode includes a biventricular pacing mode that delivers paces to both left and right ventricles in a non-atrial triggered pacing mode and periodic adjustment of a ventricular escape interval in order to regularize the rate at which ventricular beats occur;
- and,
- wherein the adjustment of the ventricular escape interval increases the ventricular escape interval after a ventricular pace is delivered and decreases the ventricular escape interval after a ventricular sense.
3 more elements
A cardiac pacemaker, comprising:
- sensing amplifiers for sensing atrial and ventricular depolarizations;
- pulse generators for delivering paces to the right and left ventricles;
- a controller for controlling the delivery of paces in accordance with a primary pacing mode that delivers paces to only one ventricle;
- wherein the controller is configured to switch the pacemaker to an atrial fibrillation pacing mode upon detection of an atrial tachyarrhythmia, wherein the atrial fibrillation pacing mode includes a biventricular pacing mode that delivers paces to both left and right ventricles in a non-atrial triggered pacing mode and adjustment of a ventricular escape interval in order to regularize the rate at which ventricular beats occur by increasing the ventricular escape interval after a ventricular pace is delivered and decreasing the ventricular escape interval after a ventricular sense.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.