Apparatus and method for pacing mode switching during atrial tachyarrhythmias
First Claim
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1. 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;
switching the pacemaker to an atrial fibrillation pacing mode upon detection of an atrial tachyarrhythmia, wherein the atrial fibrillation mode includes ventricular resynchronization pacing and adjustment of a ventricular escape interval in order to regularize the rate at which ventricular beats occur; and
,adjusting the ventricular escape interval in the atrial fibrillation pacing mode by increasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular pace is delivered and decreasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular sense.
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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.
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20 Claims
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1. A method for operating a cardiac pacemaker, comprising:
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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; switching the pacemaker to an atrial fibrillation pacing mode upon detection of an atrial tachyarrhythmia, wherein the atrial fibrillation mode includes ventricular resynchronization pacing and adjustment of a ventricular escape interval in order to regularize the rate at which ventricular beats occur; and
,adjusting the ventricular escape interval in the atrial fibrillation pacing mode by increasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular pace is delivered and decreasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular sense. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A cardiac pacemaker, comprising:
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an atrial sensing channel for sensing atrial depolarizations; a ventricular sensing channel for sensing ventricular depolarizations; right and left pacing channels for delivering paces to the right and left ventricles; a controller for controlling the delivery of paces in accordance with a primary pacing mode; 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 ventricular resynchronization pacing and adjustment of a ventricular escape interval in order to regularize the rate at which ventricular beats occur; and
,wherein the controller is configured to adjust the ventricular escape interval in the atrial fibrillation pacing mode by increasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular pace is delivered and decreasing the ventricular escape interval after each ventricular sense. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification