Arrhythmia forecasting based on morphology changes in intercardiac electrograms

摘要

An apparatus for forecasting arrhythmia based on real-time intact intracardiac electrograms. Real-time changes in the electrograms that may be used to predict an impending arrhythmia are identified from non-arrhythmic complexes of the intracardiac electrogram prior to the onset of a spontaneous arrhythmia. One embodiment relies on a running comparison between the morphology of a normal sinus template and a sequence of complexes within a running window. In an alternative embodiment the comparison is made between a pre-arrhythmic template and the acquired electrogram wherein a high correlation is an indicator of an impending arrhythmia. The analysis may be performed continuously or periodically.