Method and apparatus for far-field tachycardia termination

Abstract

A method and apparatus provides a combination of an optimally short cardioversion pulse (about one millisecond in duration) followed by a train of largely conventional anti-tachycardia pacing pulses applied to pacemaker-catheter electrodes, for terminating ventricular tachycardia. Another embodiment delivers a train of anti-tachycardia pacing pulses through far-field electrodes, such as defibrillation electrodes. Still another embodiment delivers two or more optimally short pulses, closely spaced, through far-field electrodes, followed closely by a train of largely conventional anti-tachycardia pacing pulses. A closely related preferred embodiment comprises differing intervals between the far-field pulses and the subsequent pacing pulses. Apparatus of the present invention comprises an additional capacitor, smaller than the defibrillation capacitor and charged to a lower voltage, and better able to deliver pulses optimized for terminating ventricular tachycardia.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.