| abstract |
An implantable device for diagnosing and distinguishing supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias includes electrodes for stimulating parasympathetic nerves of the atrioventricular and/or sinus node; electrodes for stimulating the atria and ventricles and/or for ventricular cardioversion/defibrillation; a device for producing electrical parasympathetic stimulation pulses passed to the electrodes; a device for detecting the atrial and/or ventricular rate, by ascertaining a time interval between atrial and/or ventricular depolarization; a device for programming a frequency limit above which a rate of the ventricles is recognized as tachycardia; a comparison device for comparing the measured heart rate during parasympathetic stimulation to the heart rate prior to or without parasympathetic stimulation and/or to the frequency limit, which delivers an output signal when with parasympathetic stimulation the heart rate falls below the comparison value by more than a predetermined amount; and an inhibition unit which responds to the output signal to inhibit ventricular myocardial over-stimulation therapy. |