Abstract: A device for treating patients suffering from congestive heart failure includes an implantable neurostimulator for stimulating the patient's vagus nerve at or above the cardiac branch with an electrical pulse waveform at a stimulating rate sufficient to maintain the patient's heart beat at a rate well below the patient's normal resting heart rate, thereby allowing rest and recovery of the heart muscle, to increase in coronary blood flow, and/or growth of coronary capillaries. A metabolic need sensor detects the patient's current physical state and concomitantly supplies a control signal to the neurostimulator to vary the stimulating rate. If the detection indicates a state of rest, the neurostimulator rate reduces the patient's heart rate below the patient's normal resting rate. If the detection indicates physical exertion, the neurostimulator rate increases the patient's heart rate above the normal resting rate.

Abstract: A method of calculating the heart rate variability of the human heart to be used in an ECG monitor comprises the following procedural steps: scanning of the ECG signal received from the ECG monitor during a scanning interval, determining from the scanned ECG signals a number of discrete measuring values representative of the heart rate variability, and evaluating these measuring values on the basis of the Fourier transformation, wherein the frequency spectre of the measuring values is calculated from the Fourier coefficients of the Fourier transformation, which are for their turn calculated from a combination of said measuring values with the sinus- and cosinus-shaped Fourier vectors of the Fourier transformation wherein the Fourier vectors are involved in the calculation in the form of a number of discrete real numerical vector values, and replacing of the numerical vector values for calculating the frequency spectrumof the scanned measuring values by rough, integral approximate vector values of a limite

Abstract: A thin film capacitor for use in an implantable defibrillator. A first dielectric polymer film layer has a metallized film on one side thereof. A second dielectric polymer film layer has a metallized film on one side thereof. The first and second layers are overlain on each other and wound spirally with the metallized film of one layer adjacent the dielectric polymer of the other layer. The beginnings and ends of the first and second metallized films are offset from the respective beginnings and ends of the first and second polymer film layers. The dielectric layers can be tapered in increasing thickness toward the respective beginnings and ends of the layers. The dielectric layers can themselves comprise at least two layers of differing polymer materials, the preferred materials being polyvinylidene fluoride and polyester for improved energy density and self-healing properties.

Abstract: In order to make an improved securing of the plastic sheath on the holder possible in a surgical tubular-shafted instrument with a shaft, at the distal end of which at least one tool is arranged on a holder which, for its part, is secured in position on the shaft, and with a plastic sheath partially covering the holder, it is suggested that the plastic sheath engage at its edge beneath projections on the holder.

Abstract: This invention describes a rivet applier and rivet clip for delivering orthopedic fasteners into a patient. The rivet applier inserts the rivet body then drives a pin into the rivet body to fix the rivet in position. The device comprises a body with a handle, trigger and applier barrel. The rivet applier contains a loader and firing pin to advance and deploy rivets. The applier barrel of the rivet applier is attached to a rivet clip into which rivets may be loaded. The rivets are contained in the body of the rivet clip and loaded into the barrel of the rivet clip through a chamber. The loader of the rivet applier advances the rivet to the end of the barrel. The firing pin advances the rivet body into final position and inserts the rivet pin into the rivet.