The present invention provides delivery systems for and methods of
delivering ion channel protein genetic material to cardiac cells in areas
adjacent to where an electrode is to be positioned in a patient's heart
to improve or correct the signal to noise ratio of cardiac signals, such
as the P-wave. More specifically, there is provided a system and method
for delivering sodium ion channel proteins or nucleic acid molecules
encoding sodium ion channel proteins to a site in the heart adjacent to
an electrode to increase the expression of the same, thereby enhancing
the cardiac signal amplitude and enabling improved sensing of cardiac
signals by an implanted pacemaker.