Technical improvements in sensors for rate adaptive pacemakers.

Many types of sensors have been developed and applied clinically during recent years. Technical improvements can be achieved through greater sensitivity and especially through more specificity for various physical or preferably physiologic signals. However, to date no single sensor properly reflects metabolic demands under all circumstances. In a manner analogous to the normal sinus node, the input from different sources will have to be considered. This leads to the development of dual-sensor or eventually multisensor pacemakers in which the rate is a computed result of blended and cross-checked information on the various parameters that are analyzed.