Abstract: An implantable medical device is capable of delivering the therapeutic output to the patient. A controller, programmable by a medical professional, is operatively coupled to the implantable medical device to, in part, program the therapeutic output to be delivered to the patient. The controller has an interface allowing the medical professional to select an amount of the therapeutic output to be delivered to the patient in at least one of the series of discrete timer intervals. However, the therapeutic output deliver to the patient is dependant upon the clock time to which the infusion device. In certain situations the infusion device clock time may have inaccuracies that grow over time. The clock time can be reset by the infusion programmer but a method must be in place to determine and account for resetting the infusion device clock time that controls when the therapy will be delivered.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a housing and a circuit board provided within the housing. The circuit board includes a plurality of electronic components electrically coupled thereto. At least one non-functional component is provided on the circuit board and formed from a material that has an electromagnetic permeability configured to reduce the amount of image distortion caused by at least one of the plurality of electronic components when the device is subject to a magnetic field during an MRI scan.

Abstract: The housing of an implantable medical device is made of a titanium alloy that provides improved electrical performance, mechanical strength, and reduced MRI heating. The titanium alloy housing includes portions formed by metal injection molding and welded together. Wall thickness of at least a portion of one major face of the housing is reduced by chemical etching a metal injected molded housing portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and related apparatus for rotating a piston of a drug pump during the pumping stroke to reduce drug pump wear. The actuator may move a piston that pumps fluid through a pumping channel. In the present invention, the armature includes one or more openings or shapes that cause the actuator, including the armature and the piston, to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the piston during the pumping stroke. Rotation of the actuator member may help to reduce wear to the actuator member and the pump itself caused by repetitive pumping motions.

Abstract: In general, the invention provides a transurethral ablation device comprising an electrode for delivery of neurostimulation therapy to a patient to prevent or alleviate pain experienced during the course of a transurethral ablation procedure. The device may include a conductive ablation needle that delivers electrical current for ablation of prostate tissue, as well as neurostimulation current to prevent or alleviate pain encountered in response to the ablation current. In this sense, the ablation needle is integrated with a neurostimulation electrode. Alternatively, the device may incorporate a dedicated neurostimulation electrode independently of the ablation needle, either on the needle or on a catheter body that carries the needle.

Abstract: A microcoil is manufactured by rolling a trace unit in such a way as to form at least one winding. The trace unit is comprised of a conductive trace attached to a flexible insulating film. A preferred embodiment of the microcoil contains both a first winding and a second winding electrically connected and spaced apart by a joining portion. The microcoil may be used for internal magnetic resonance imaging of patient by attaching the microcoil to a catheter.

Abstract: A drug delivery system (10) has a positive pressure drug reservoir (15). A pump (19) is in fluid communication with the reservoir (15) via a first fluid passageway (18). The outlet (19b) of the pump (19) is in fluid communication with a first regulator (21). The regulator (21) includes a housing (24) that has a first subchamber (24a) and a second subchamber (24b). The second subchamber (24b) is divided into a lower chamber (28a) and a middle chamber (28b) by a diaphragm (28). A third fluid passageway (32) is positioned between the lower chamber (28a) and the drug reservoir (15), whereby accidental flow from the reservoir (15) to an outlet (21b) is prevented.

Abstract: A system comprises an implantable medical device and an actively deployable clip attached to the implantable medical device to restrict movement of the implantable medical device once the clip is deployed within a body of a patient. The clip includes an electrically conductive portion. The implantable medical device may be implanted proximate to any suitable tissue site within the patient, and in one embodiment, the implantable medical device is implanted proximate to an occipital nerve or a trigeminal nerve of the patient.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a method of manufacture including a mold having at least one pin, and surrounding the pin with a hardenable material to form a first guide layer. The mold and pin are removed from the resulting first guide layer, to define a substantially untapered first instrument passage that corresponds to the geometry of the pin. Optionally, the first instrument passage includes at least five substantially untapered channels including a central channel. The first instrument passage is aligned with a substantially untapered second instrument passage of a stacked second guide layer. In a further example, the first and second guide layers are coupled to a guide coupler that cooperatively aligns the first and second instrument passages. The guide layers can be used with a trajectory guide for image guided surgery.

Abstract: A battery includes a positive electrode having a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode having a current collector and a second active material. The battery also includes an auxiliary electrode having a current collector and a third active material. The auxiliary electrode is configured for selective electrical connection to one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.

Abstract: This document discusses trajectory guides that include an instrument guide with at least one lumen angled with respect to an orthogonal or other through-axis. In one example, patterned lumens on the instrument guide provide a mirror image pattern of trajectory axes intersecting a target plane. In another example, height adjustment of the instrument guide extends these or other targeting techniques to a three-dimensional volume. This document also describes a method of manufacturing such an instrument guide, which is also applicable to manufacturing an instrument guide providing parallel lumens.

Abstract: An implantable drug infusion pump for delivering drug therapy is made more reliable and its performance improved by monitoring drug pump temperature. Monitoring pump temperature can also provide for temperature-related drug therapy modification. A pump temperature sensor is read by the infusion pump's microprocessor. Pump temperature data is stored in pump memory for later access by a remote controller. A simple thermistor or semiconductor temperature sensor can provide fast and reliable temperature monitoring of the pump and/or of a patient by reading the temperature sensor's value and calculating a temperature therefrom.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, fiducial marker devices, tools, and methods. One example illustrates a combined computed tomography (CT) imagable fiducial locator head, an integral bone screw, and an integral divot for receiving a positioning wand of an image-guided surgical (IGS) workstation. A further example includes a fluid/gel-absorbing coating or cover into which a magnetic resonance (MR) imagable fluid is introduced, thereby permitting both CT and MR imaging. Protective caps and collars may be used to protect the fiducial marker from mechanical impact and/or to guide the fiducial marker during affixation. A bull's-eye or other template is used to select a center of a substantially spherical fiducial marker head on an image, such as for use during patient registration.

Abstract: A medical device includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for providing power to the medical device. The lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode including a current collector and a first active material, a negative electrode including a current collector and a second active material, and an auxiliary electrode including a current collector and a third active material. The auxiliary electrode is configured for selective electrical connection to one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus accurately maintains alignment of a surgical instrument. The apparatus includes a base with an attached movable member. The movable member includes a passage forming a portion of a trajectory path. A relaxable or rigid material has a similar passage in common with the passage of the movable member. If a relaxable material is used, the passage portion of the relaxable region is held open by an inserted stem removably attached to the movable member. The instrument is then inserted into the center of the stem and thus into the trajectory path. The stem is removed by withdrawing it from the movable member over the proximal portion of the instrument. This releases the relaxable region to tightly hold the instrument in place. Alternatively, using a relaxable or rigid component, the component is slid laterally to at least partially offset a passage through the component from the passage of the movable member to reduce a combined effective area of the passages and to grasp an instrument.

Abstract: An insertion guide is shown that includes at least one insertion point adjustment device. A user such as a surgeon is able to adjust a lateral position of an insertion point to more precisely center the insertion point within an opening in a subject, such as a burr hole. Selected insertion guide devices further include a centering guide that easily indicates to a user when the insertion point is substantially centered within the opening in the subject. Selected insertion guide devices include adjustability of multiple degrees of rotational freedom of an insertion axis. Selected insertion guide devices further permit a user to fix multiple degrees of rotational freedom of an insertion axis using a single locking device. Tissue damage due to an attachment procedure of an insertion guide device is reduced using selected configurations described herein.

Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode that includes a positive current collector, a first active material, and a second active material. The lithium-ion battery also includes a negative electrode comprising a negative current collector, a third active material, and a quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector. The first active material, second active material, and third active materials are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions, and the second active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.

Abstract: An insertion device and method of using and manufacturing an insertion device is shown, wherein the insertion device is capable of distributing a media over a large distribution volume inside a patient while reducing the amount of tissue disturbed by the procedure. Also shown is a computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause generation of a set of data for use with an insertion device. An insertion device and methods are shown that allows a series of iterations to be performed within a single insertion procedure that distributes media, such as cells for cell therapy, over a large volume.

Abstract: A battery includes a positive electrode including a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode including a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, examples of a stereotactic apparatus that includes reticles or other imagable locators for confirming placement of an instrument introduced along a desired trajectory. In certain examples, the reticles are re-positionable with respect to the trajectory to permit placement confirmation along different views. In other examples, the reticles are positionable toward or away from a skull.