Safety pacing in multi-site CRM devices

An apparatus, comprising:

• a signal generator
• a first sensing/pacing electrode adapted for connection to the signal generator;
• a second sensing/pacing electrode adapted for connection to the signal generator;
• and
• where the signal generator includes:
• a first cardiac signal sensor to sense a first cardiac signal with the first sensing/pacing electrode;
• a second cardiac signal sensor to sense a second cardiac signal with the second sensing/pacing electrode;
• a cardiac signal analyzer, where the cardiac signal analyzer determines a cardiac rate from the cardiac events in one of the first cardiac signal or the second cardiac signal;
• a pacing output, where the pacing output provides pacing pulses to the first sensing/pacing electrode to maintain a cardiac rate at at least a minimum rate value;
• and
• a pace protection circuit, wherein the pace protection circuit starts a pace protection interval for the first cardiac signal after a cardiac event in the first cardiac signal and where the pace protection circuit inhibits pacing pulses from the pacing output to a first cardiac chamber during the pace protection interval, and provides a pacing pulse from the pacing output to the second sensing/pacing electrode at a safety interval timed from the inhibited pacing pulse to the first cardiac chamber.