# Novel lead for selective His bundle sensing and low-threshold pacing

> **NIH NIH R21** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2021 · $190,625

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Nodal dysfunction in patients often requires the implantation of a pacemaker to maintain physiologically
normal heart rates. Historically, a pacemaker in the right ventricular apex has delivered pacing pulses to the
ventricles. In some patients, chronic pacing in the right ventricle may lead to ventricular dyssynchrony, pacing
induced cardiomyopathy, and increased congestive heart failure incidence. Biventricular pacing has been
shown to lead to improved performance compared to right ventricular pacing, but up to 1/3 of patients are non-
responders to biventricular pacing. Permanent His bundle pacing has recently been shown to lead to less heart
failure and improved synchronicity, with a trend towards a mortality benefit as compared to the standard right
ventricular or biventricular lead placement.
 Limitations that have slowed the adoption of His bundle pacing include 1) higher pacing thresholds as
compared to other lead configurations, which may reduce battery life in implanted devices for patients with high
pacing demand, and 2) a lack of selectivity in sensing and pacing the His bundle and adjacent ventricular
myocardium. Therapies such as anti-tachycardia pacing that utilize sensing may be less effective if the His
activation and the local myocardial activations lead to inappropriate calculation of the ventricular tachycardia
cycle length.
 A novel, transvenous, multielectrode pacing lead is proposed that will allow for low threshold, selective
sensing and pacing of the His bundle and the adjacent ventricular myocardium. Refinement of the lead
configuration will be performed in ex vivo canine hearts, and validation of the new lead will be demonstrated in
an in vivo, chronic dog model. The lead configuration will be deployable with currently available tools and
techniques and will allow the physician to optimize the pacing therapy based on the response of individual
patients.
 Completion of this project will lead to a substantially improved lead system for His bundle pacing
applications. This translational project may have an immediate impact on pacemaker implantation for many of
the one million patients worldwide that are implanted with pacemakers each year.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10110608
- **Project number:** 1R21HL156039-01
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Derek J Dosdall
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $190,625
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-07 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10110608

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10110608, Novel lead for selective His bundle sensing and low-threshold pacing (1R21HL156039-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10110608. Licensed CC0.

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