Another technique, available to a patient who receives atrial pacing, is to decrease the atrial pacing rate.

The pacing rate is adapted during atrial tachyarrhytmia to limit the atrial distension to a predetermined level.

Treatment of choice for atrial fibrillation.

Treatment of choice for atrial fibrillation.

This invention provides methods for treating a subject afflicted with atrial tachyarrhythmia and methods for inhibiting the onset of atrial tachyarrhythmia.

Under our atrial fibrillation programme there are three workstreams;

The device is configured to provide atrial defibrillation therapy to the heart upon detection of atrial fibrillation, which can include the application of electrical energy.

An intra-atrial ablation therapy apparatus is disclosed.

A device is provided for treating atrial fibrillation.

An atrial kick pressure waveform corresponding to active contraction of an atrial chamber is detected from the intraventricular pressure signal.

Further, the invention enables an atrial cardioversion synchronization method that allows for the safe delivery of atrial cardioversion pulses in the presence of very rapid ventricular rates.

A second post-ventricular atrial refractory period is set in response to detecting the atrial events each being sensed during the first post-ventricular atrial refractory period.

An atrial based pacing protocol promotes intrinsic conduction.

Rate responsive pacing is limited in an atrial based pacing mode by the AV interval in order to avoid or minimize ventricular encroachment of atrial pacing.

The apparatus may define a time window following the ventricular depolarization, following the atrial depolarization or determined based upon the timing of both the atrial and ventricular depolarizations.