[Orthorhythmic pacemaker and salvo-like cardiac stimulation. New procedure aiming at the suppression and prophylaxis of cardiac arrhythmia and the determination of electrophysiological measurement magnitudes in vivo].

The orthorhythmic pacemaker (ORPM) represents a new apprach in cardiac stimulation. The use of conventional demand pacemakers is essentially limited to the treatment of bradycardic arrhythmias. The principle of the ORPM consists in early stimulation after premature beats, taking into account the R-R interval of the preceding spontaneous beat. In this "extrasystolic pacing" the escape interval is not fixed; rather, the premature electric stimulus will be fired after an interval, the duration of which can be selected as a fraction of the preceding cycle length. The ORPM enhances the possibilities for treatment of atrial and ventricular tachycardias due to re-entry. The idea of "bursts" of stimulation e.g. the firing of up to ten impulses within a short time, is put into practice in the actual latest ORPM model. It widens the application of the ORPM principle and allows simplified measurement of the refractory period.