Understanding the timing cycles of a cardiac resynchronization device designed with left ventricular sensing.

Some devices used for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can sense from the left ventricular (LV) lead as in Biotronik CRT devices (Biotronik GmbH, Berlin, Germany), whose special LV timing cycles form the basis of this report. LV sensing (LVs) was designed to prevent competitive pacing outside the LV myocardial absolute refractory period. LVs works by inhibiting the release of an LV pacemaker stimulus (LVp) in the vulnerable period of the LV during a programmable period. LVs with stored LV electrograms may also provide recordings of diagnostic value in tachyarrhythmias. LVs has added a new dimension to the evaluation of the function of CRT devices, because it is manifested by unfamiliar timing cycles. In this respect, Biotronik devices can initiate an LV upper rate interval (URI) upon sensing a right-sided event when LVs is turned off. An inhibited LVp can also initiate an LVURI. The LVURI should generally be programmed to a relatively short duration and shorter than the right ventricular URI to prevent a special form of desynchronization arrhythmia sustained by LVs. This arrhythmia is characterized by recurring delayed LVs events in sequences associated with RV pacing followed by LVs events with loss of LVp.