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Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing dual chamber cardiac pacing and sensing with a single pace/sense electrode situated in the coronary sinus or deep cardiac vein of a patient's heart. The pace/sense electrode is disposed at the end of a transvenous lead which extends from an implanted pacemaker, through the patient's right atrium, the patient's coronary sinus, and into the deep cardiac vein. Electrical cardiac signals received by the pace/sense electrode are applied to the inputs of two sense amplifiers, with one the sense amplifiers having a lower sensitivity threshold and the other having a higher sensitivity threshold. Electrical cardiac signals which exceed the lower sensitivity threshold but not the higher sensitivity threshold are interpreted as corresponding to atrial events, while electrical cardiac signals which exceed both the lower and higher sensitivity thresholds are interpreted as corresponding to ventricular events.

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