METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION OF TACHYARRHYTHMIA USING CYCLE LENGTHS

A method and apparatus for detecting atrial arrhythmias and discriminating atrial fibrillation (AF) and organized atrial tachycardia (OAT) that includes defining a threshold detection criteria for a cluster signature evidence metric corresponding to a Lorenz distribution of ventricular cycle lengths representative of AF or OAT. Using a signal containing VCL information, a number of consecutive ventricular cycle lengths are determined during a selected time interval for generating a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional histogram as a numerical representation of a Lorenz plot of VCLs. A number of cluster signature metrics are computed using the stored ventricular cycle length information, and a cluster signature evidence metric is computed from the cluster signature metrics. AF or OAT is detected if a comparative analysis of a corresponding cluster signature evidence metric meets a respective threshold detection criteria.