Wireless Endocardial Atrial (and Ventricular) Sensing with no Implanted Power Source: a Proposal.

Cardiac electrical activity is mainly evaluated by monitoring the electrical biosignals. This requires a long-lasting power supply to make implantable devices cost-effective and efficient. Since the current trend is to implant catheter-free stand-alone electrodes (implantable cardiac monitors), the need for smaller devices is at odds with the need for long-life batteries.

Long-term RV threshold behavior by automated measurements: safety is the standpoint of pacemaker longevity!

Background: We studied long-term right ventricular (RV) pacing threshold (RVPT) behavior in patients consecutively implanted with pacemakers capable of automatic output reprogramming tracked by automatic RV threshold measurement (automatic verification of capture [AVC]).

Methods: All the patients had state-of-the art steroid-eluting bipolar pacing leads and were RV-paced by an AVC algorithm from the three American manufacturers. Follow-up occurred twice in the first year after implantation, then yearly until approaching elective replacement indicator.