Methods and systems of optimizing right ventricular only pacing for patients with respect to an atrial event and left ventricular event

1. A method comprising:

determining a baseline cardiac rhythm, the baseline cardiac rhythm comprising a baseline atrial event time, a baseline left ventricular event time, and a baseline right ventricular event time of a patient;

making a first comparison that comprises comparing a time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time to the time interval between the atrial event time and the right ventricular event time;

making a second comparison that comprises comparing the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time to a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold is representative of a standard atrioventricular node delay time;

determining that the patient should receive right ventricular only cardiac pacing only in response to both: the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the right ventricular event time being greater than the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time and the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time being less than the predetermined threshold, and otherwise determining that the patient should not receive right ventricular only cardiac pacing;

determining an atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing based on the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time; and

applying right ventricular only cardiac pacing to the patient based on the determined atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the baseline cardiac rhythm is determined by sensing and analyzing intracardiac electrogram signals measured by implanted leads.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing based on the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time comprises:

selecting a first correction percentage;

calculating a first atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only cardiac pacing by applying the first correction percentage to the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time;

sensing a first atrial event;

pacing the patient's right ventricle when a period of time equal to the first atrioventricular delay elapses after sensing the first atrial event; and

receiving first torso-surface potential signals detected by electrodes distributed on the patient's torso.

4. A method of claim 3 , further comprising:

selecting a second correction percentage that is different than the first correction percentage;

calculating a second atrioventricular pacing delay for right ventricular only cardiac pacing by applying the second correction percentage to the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time;

sensing a second atrial event;

pacing the patient's right ventricle when a period of time equal to the second atrioventricular pacing delay elapses after sensing the second atrial event;

receiving second torso-surface potential signals detected by the electrodes;

comparing the first torso-surface potential signals with the second torso-surface potential signals; and

selecting the correction percentage for future right ventricular cardiac pacing for the patient based on the comparison.

5. A method of claim 4 , wherein comparing the first torso-surface potential signals with the second torso-surface potential signals comprises comparing a global cardiac electrical heterogeneity represented by the first signals with a global cardiac electrical heterogeneity represented by the second signals.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the global cardiac electrical heterogeneities comprises:

recording the activation time of each electrode; and

determining the standard deviation of the electrode activation times.

7. A method of claim 5 , wherein the second correction percentage is selected for future right ventricular only cardiac pacing based on the global cardiac electrical heterogeneity comparison indicating that applying the second correction percentage results in a lower global electrical heterogeneity than applying the first correction percentage.

8. A method of claim 7 , wherein the second correction percentage is further selected for future right ventricular only cardiac pacing based on the comparison indicating that applying the second correction percentage results in a greater degree of left and right ventricular synchronization than applying the first correction percentage.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the baseline atrial event time is directly sensed and wherein the baseline left ventricular event time is calculated based on a fiducial point on intracardiac left ventricular electrogram.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising calculating updated right ventricular pacing delays at regular intervals by periodically applying the second correction percentage to newly calculated time intervals between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time.

11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising filtering the first and second torso-surface potential signals to determine whether individual electrode signals meet predetermined criteria prior to comparing the first torso-surface potential signals with the second torso-surface potential signals.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined criteria comprise one of a predetermined potential threshold that must be exceeded by the potential signal and a predetermined time period within which the potential signal must be received.

13. A system comprising:

an implantable pacing device configured to be implanted in a patient's body and configured to:

determine a baseline cardiac rhythm, the baseline cardiac rhythm comprising a baseline atrial event time, a baseline left ventricular event time, and a baseline right ventricular event time;

make a first comparison that comprises comparing a time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time to the time interval between the atrial event time and the right ventricular event time;

make a second comparison that comprises comparing the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time to a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold is representative of a standard atrioventricular node delay time;

determine that the patient should receive right ventricular only cardiac pacing only in response to both: the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the right ventricular event time being greater than the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time and the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time being less than the predetermined threshold, and otherwise determining that the patient should not receive right ventricular only cardiac pacing;

determine an atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing based on the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time; and

applying right ventricular only cardiac pacing to the patient based on the determined atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein to determine the atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing based on the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time, the implantable pacing device is further configured to:

select a first correction percentage;

calculate a first atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only cardiac pacing by applying the first correction percentage to the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time;

sense a first atrial event;

pace the patient's right ventricle when a period of time equal to the first atrioventricular delay elapses after sensing the first atrial event; and

receive first torso-surface potential signals detected by electrodes distributed on the patient's torso.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein to determine the atrioventricular delay for right ventricular only pacing based on the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time, the implantable pacing device is further configured to:

select a second correction percentage that is different than the first correction percentage;

calculate a second atrioventricular pacing delay for right ventricular only cardiac pacing by applying the second correction percentage to the time interval between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time;

sense a second atrial event;

pace the patient's right ventricle when a period of time equal to the second atrioventricular pacing delay elapses after sensing the second atrial event;

receive second torso-surface potential signals detected by the electrodes;

compare the first torso-surface potential signals with the second torso-surface potential signals; and

select the correction percentage for future right ventricular cardiac pacing for the patient based on the comparison.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein to compare the first torso-surface potential signals with the second torso-surface potential signals, the implantable pacing device is further configured to compare a global cardiac electrical heterogeneity represented by the first signals with a global cardiac electrical heterogeneity represented by the second signals.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second correction percentage is selected for future right ventricular only cardiac pacing based on the global cardiac electrical heterogeneity comparison indicating that applying the second correction percentage results in a lower global electrical heterogeneity than applying the first correction percentage.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second correction percentage is further selected for future right ventricular only cardiac pacing based on the comparison indicating that applying the second correction percentage results in a greater degree of left and right ventricular synchronization than applying the first correction percentage.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the implantable pacing device is further configured to calculate updated right ventricular pacing delays at regular intervals by periodically applying the second correction percentage to newly calculated time intervals between the baseline atrial event time and the baseline left ventricular event time.