Abstract: A method and system of cardiac pacing is disclosed. A baseline rhythm is determined. The baseline rhythm includes a baseline atrial event and a baseline right ventricular RV event from an implanted cardiac lead or a leadless device, a pre-excitation interval determined from the baseline atrial event and the baseline RV event, and a plurality of activation times determined from a plurality of body-surface electrodes. A determination is made as to whether a time interval measured from an atrial event to a RV event is disparate from another time interval measured from the atrial event to an earliest RV activation time of the plurality of activation times. A correction factor is applied to the pre-excitation interval to obtain a corrected pre-excitation interval in response to determining the RV event is disparate from the earliest RV activation time.

Abstract: A medical lead is configured to be implanted into a patient's body and comprises a lead body, and an electrode coupled to the lead body. The electrode comprises a first section configured to contact the patient's body, and a second section electrically coupled to the first section and configured to be capacitively coupled to the patient's body.

Abstract: This disclosure describes generation of electrical stimulation pulses for electrical stimulation therapy. The stimulation pulses have a pulse current level and pulse width, and may be generated by a current regulator. The pulse voltage level may be a voltage level delivered by the current regulator while maintaining regulation of the pulse current level. During delivery of a pulse, a supply voltage level may decrease due to discharging of a supply capacitance, and the pulse voltage level may increase due to charging of a load capacitance. The pulse current level may be controlled to decrease during the pulse width such that a sum of the pulse voltage level and a headroom voltage of the current regulator does not exceed the supply voltage level. In some examples, the pulse may include sub-pulses with different sub-pulse current levels, where an earlier sub-pulse has a higher pulse current level than a later sub-pulse.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrode, such as an SCS paddle electrode, having a lead attached thereto along an interior portion of the electrode. The lead and electrode are configured such that the lead may be positioned generally coplanar with a top surface of the electrode, and may likewise be erected from such coplanar orientation up and away from the top surface of the electrode. Thus, the lead can maintain the typical configuration of emerging from the back end of the electrode, but because at least portions of the lead are not permanently bonded into the electrode paddle, the lead (when desired) can be pulled upward, with or without surrounding strain relief material, to emerge from the top surface of the paddle at an angle or curve to such top surface. This allows the base of the paddle to engage a bony opening, such as when the electrode is inserted into a patient's spine, skull, plane of fascia, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for generating an estimated volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to settings applied to a stimulation leadwire includes a processor performing the following: determining, for each of a plurality of neural elements, one or more respective parameters characterizing an electrical distribution along the neural element, looking up the one or more parameters for each of the neural elements in a look-up table (LUT), obtaining threshold values for each of the neural elements recorded in the LUT in association with the looked-up parameters, comparing, for each of the neural elements, a value of the leadwire settings to each of the respective threshold value, estimating based on the comparisons which of the neural elements would be activated by the settings, and generating a structure corresponding to a region including the neural elements estimated to be activated.

Abstract: A resuscitation device for automatic compression of victim's chest using a compression belt which exerts force evenly over the entire thoracic cavity. The belt is constricted and relaxed through a motorized spool assembly which repeatedly tightens the belt and relaxes the belt to provide repeated and rapid chest compression. An assembly includes various resuscitation devices including chest compression devices, defibrillation devices, and airway management devices, along with communications devices and senses with initiate communications with emergency medical personnel automatically upon use of the device.

Abstract: An exemplary implantable medical device includes an electrode lead connector having at least one electrical contact for connection of an electrode lead, and an analyzing unit which is connected to the electrode lead connector and is designed to detect and evaluate a response signal present at the at least one electrical connector in response to known electromagnetic irradiation. The analyzing unit may compare a signal modulation resulting from an electromagnetic irradiation of the electrode lead with a reference signal modulation. The electrode lead may be classified as defective if the deviation exceeds a threshold deviation. If a second antenna is available, the analyzing unit may compare response signals resulting from electromagnetic irradiation of the electrode lead and the second antenna. If the ratio of response signals exceeds a threshold, the electrode lead may be classified as defective.

Abstract: Patient tissues are imaged using, e.g., a real-time fluoroscopic imaging system, along with a lead system being implanted. Parameters representative of lead placement efficacy—such as capture thresholds, phrenic nerve stimulation thresholds, impedance values or screw-in tip mechanical resistance values—are measured at candidate implant locations. Localization parameters identifying the candidate implant locations are also measured. In one example, a display is generated substantially in real-time showing: images of the tissues of the patient and the lead system being implanted; candidate locations of the electrodes; and parameters representative of lead placement efficacy at the candidate locations. In this manner, the implanting clinician can readily view capture thresholds and other helpful parameters at various candidate locations along with actual real-time images of the tissues of the patient and the lead system being implanted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid pump or rotary cutter having at least one first element which can be brought from a transport state into an operating state by changing at least one mechanical property. Such a pump can, for example, be a blood pump for the medical, microinvasive area. The object of achieving a transition between the transport state and the operating state which is as comfortable as possible and in so doing leaving a freedom in the design of the corresponding apparatus, in particular of a pump, which is as large as possible, is achieved using the means of the invention in that the first element at least partly comprises a material or can be filled with a material or material mixture which passes through a chemical reaction, in particular cross-linking, or a crystallization for transition into the operating state.

Abstract: Techniques adapted for use with recharging a rechargeable power source of an implantable device. One aspect relates to providing a flexible primary coil that can be transcutaneously coupled to a secondary coil of the implantable device. Multiple adjacent turns of the coil are grouped via lacing to form bundles. The bundles have at least one dimension that is selected to be a same size as a predetermined thickness of the coil. In one embodiment, the dimension is a diameter of the bundle. In another embodiment, the dimension is at least one of a length or width of the bundle. Insulating overmolding may be provided over the coil. In one embodiment, the resulting antenna structure is bidirectional such that substantially the same performance characteristics are obtained during recharge regardless of which of two major surfaces of the antenna is placed in proximity to the patient.

Abstract: A system for use during revascularization includes a catheter having an adjustable balloon for delivery a stent, one or more pacing electrodes for delivering one or more pacing pulses to a patient's heart, and a pacemaker configured to generate the one or more pacing pulses to be delivered to the heart via the one or more pacing electrodes. The one or more pacing pulses are delivered at a rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions, and are delivered before, during, or after an ischemic event to prevent or reduce cardiac injury.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to programming implantable stimulators to deliver stimulation energy via one or more implantable leads having complex electrode array geometries. The disclosure also contemplates guided programming to select electrode combinations and parameter values to support efficacy. The techniques may be applied to a programming interface associated with a clinician programmer, a patient programmer, or both. A user interface permits a user to view electrodes from different perspectives relative to the lead. For example, the user interface provides a side view of a lead and a cross-sectional view of the lead. The user interface may include an axial control medium to select and/or view electrodes at different axial positions along the length of a lead, and a rotational control medium to select and/or view electrodes at different angular positions around a circumference of the lead.

Abstract: A TWA measuring apparatus includes: a T-wave feature quantity measuring section; a classifying section classifying T-wave feature quantities into groups of odd and even electrocardiogram waveforms; a reliability index calculating section calculating: first and second representative values and first and second dispersion values of the T-wave feature quantities in the odd and even group; a difference between the first and second representative values, to obtain a TWA feature quantity; and an adjustment value between the first representative value and the first dispersion value, and an adjustment value between the second representative value and the second dispersion value, to obtain a reliability index; and a reliability recognizing section recognizing: when the reliability index exceeds a threshold, that reliability of the TWA feature quantity is high; and when the reliability index does not exceed the threshold, that the reliability is low.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of making an implantable insulated electrical circuit that utilizes polyparaxylylene, preferably as Parylene, a known polymer that has excellent living tissue implant characteristics, to provide for chronic implantation of conductive electrical devices, such as stimulators and sensors. The device is thin, flexible, electrically insulated, and stable after long exposure to living tissue. Layers of Parylene may be combined with layers of a polymer, such as polyimide, to yield greater design flexibility in the circuit. Multiple electrical conduction layers may be stacked in the circuit to increase packing density.

Abstract: A connector is described herein that includes a plurality of layers patterned in two dimensions and joined in a stack with a bore there through. At least a subset of the plurality of layers are contact layers that include deflectable members (e.g., springs) that deflect in plane or out of plane upon insertion of a lead into the bore through the connector. The deflectable members form redundant electrical connections with the lead when the lead is inserted into the bore. For example, the connector can be incorporated into an implantable medical device (e.g., IPG). Moreover, methods of manufacturing a connector are set forth herein.

Abstract: The cardiac pump, which is suitable for implantation into a ventricle of a human heart, has a primary blood flow path through a housing, a rotatable pump member disposed within the housing for causing blood to flow along the primary flow path, the pump member being rotatably coupled to the housing about an upstream bearing and a downstream bearing. The pump member includes an impeller shroud defining a secondary flow path in fluid communication with the primary flow path. The downstream bearing comprises a rotational bearing member and a stationary bearing seat for the bearing member, there being a circumferential transition between the bearing seat and the bearing member, the circumferential transition being disposed in the secondary flow path and arranged to be washed by blood passing along the secondary flow path.

Abstract: A system for stimulating facial nerves in a subject includes an electrode having a plurality of contacts configured to be placed in a parotid region of the subject's face and a processor in communication with the electrode. The processor has program code for stimulating one or more facial nerve branches by stimulating each of the plurality of contacts separately in order to determine which nerve branch activates which facial muscle, for identifying one or more contacts from the plurality of contacts that cause the one or more nerve branches to activate a desired facial muscle, and for selecting the identified contacts to stimulate the one or more nerve branches.

Abstract: Therapeutic implantable cardiac pacing systems incorporating improved electrocardiographic acquisition systems for the purpose of ventricular pacing during wide QRS complexes of intrinsic origin, in order to narrow the QRS complex in patients where QRS narrowing is achievable and improving ventricular function in all patients with wide QRS complexes including those where QRS shortening does not result. These pacing systems are employed to increase coronary artery flow and electrode position is employed to improve ventricular motion in the treatment of functional ventricular abnormalities caused by wide QRS complexes.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an implantable insulated electrical circuit that utilizes polyparaxylylene, preferably as Parylene, a known polymer that has excellent living tissue implant characteristics, to provide for chronic implantation of conductive electrical devices, such as stimulators and sensors. The device is thin, flexible, electrically insulated, and stable after long exposure to living tissue. Layers of Parylene may be combined with layers of a polymer, such as polyimide, to yield greater design flexibility in the circuit. Multiple electrical conduction layers may be stacked in the circuit to increase packing density.

Abstract: A neural prosthesis includes a centralized device that can provide power, data, and clock signals to one or more individual neural prosthesis subsystems. Each subsystem may include a number of individually addressable, programmable modules that can be dynamically allocated or shared among neural prosthetic networks to achieve complex, coordinated functions or to operate in autonomous groups.