Abstract: The supraventricular rhythm of a patient's heart is characterized using cardiac beats collected during a plurality of time periods, some of which are noncontiguous. Pacing parameters may be modified to allow the development of a spontaneous rhythm. According to various aspects of the invention, waveforms of the collected cardiac beats are stored for later processing, or are combined with previously collected beats and the combination is stored. When a sufficient number of cardiac beats are collected, the patient's supraventricular rhythm is characterized using the collected cardiac beats.

Abstract: A method and system provides for generating a snapshot representative of one beat of a patient's normal cardiac rhythm. Cardiac rate channel signals and shock channel signals are sensed. A fiducial point is determined for a predefined number of the cardiac rate channel signals. A predefined number of the shock channel signals are aligned using the fiducial point. A template is generated using the aligned shock channel signals, whereby the template is representative of one of the patient's normal supra-ventricular conducted cardiac beats. The template is updated on a periodic basis.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a characterization of one beat of a patient's supraventricular rhythm (SVR) involves performing such characterization while the heart is being paced. During SVR characterization, various pacing parameters are modified and the patient's supraventricular rhythm is characterized while the pacing parameters are modified. The SVR characterization process is effective in single and multiple chamber pacing modes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for characterizing one beat of a patient's supraventricular rhythm. A plurality of templates is provided and updated using a plurality of qualified beats. Updating occurs by temporally aligning the shock channel waveforms of the template beats using rate channel fiducial points. The template beats are combined by point-by-point addition of the shock channel waveforms. The resultant updated template characterizes one of the patient's supraventricular conducted cardiac beats.

Abstract: A method and system provides for generating a snapshot representative of one beat of a patient's normal cardiac rhythm. Cardiac rate channel signals and shock channel signals are sensed. A fiducial point is determined for a predefined number of the cardiac rate channel signals. A predefined number of the shock channel signals are aligned using the fiducial point. A template is generated using the aligned shock channel signals, whereby the template is representative of one of the patient's normal supra-ventricular conducted cardiac beats. The template is updated on a periodic basis.