Miniature heart-monitoring devices, such as defibrillators and cardioverters, are implanted in humans to detect and correct abnormal heart rhythms Microprocessors and stored instructions, or algorithms within these devices govern how they interpret and react to abnormal heart rhythms. Algorithms that are too simple lead to unnecessary shocking of the heart, while those that are too complex consume considerable battery power. Accordingly, the inventor devised a relatively simple yet accurate algorithm for determining appropriate therapy options. One version of the algorithm computes three statistics--a range statistic, a minimum interval statistic, and a dispersion index--from a set of depolarization intervals. A scalar interval dispersion assessment, based on the three statistics, is then compared to a threshold to identify a rhythm as a flutter or fibrillation.

 
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