Abstract: The present invention relates to an implantable battery-operated electrostimulation device (10), particularly for stimulating a heart, having a telemetry unit (11) for wireless data transmission between the electrostimulation device (10) and an external device (21), a control unit (15), which is connected to the telemetry unit (11) and is implemented to trigger a telemetric data transmission, a battery (13) for the power supply of the electrical components of the implant, such as the telemetry unit and the control unit, and a self-test unit, which is implemented to register the functional state of the electrostimulation device and independently detect acute or imminent malfunctions, the self-test unit (17) being connected to the control unit and the control unit being implemented to trigger a data transmission using data on the functional state of the electrostimulation device if an acute or imminent malfunction is detected.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus is disclosed comprising an input stage for the preparation of a physiological signal, in particular an electrocardiogram, which is adapted to provide a signal of an alternating polarity, which is formed from the physiological signal and which is to be evaluated, and is connected to an evaluation stage for forwarding of the signal to be evaluated, wherein the evaluation stage is adapted to respond to a reference moment in time associated with the physiological signal, and for at least one signal segment, associated in respect of time with the reference moment in time, of the signal to be evaluated, to detect a respective amplitude value for at least some characteristic curve points contained in the signal segment such as signal maxima and minima, inflection points and so forth and to generate from the amplitude values obtained in that way a morphology code which describes the form of the respective signal segment.

Abstract: A method and device for producing a battery electrode (5) by: pouring a powder mixture quantity (6a) into a cavity (2), laying an electrically conductive diverter (4) on powder mixture (6a), pouring a further quantity (6b) of same powder mixture (6) into same cavity (2), and compressing the two powder mixture quantities (6a, 6b). The device has a filling cavity (2) for powder mixture (6), at least one compression means (1) for compressing powder mixture (6), and support (7) and fixing means (8) for positioning and fixing an electrically conductive diverter (4). The diverter (4) is situated so that partial quantities (6a, 6b) of powder mixture (6) are located above and below diverter (4). The support means (7) and fixing means (8) are situated in such a way that a ratio of the partial quantities (6a, 6b) of powder mixture (6) above and below the diverter (4) remains essentially maintained.

Abstract: The invention relates to heart stimulators and implantable atrial pacemakers which utilize a rhythm based atrial capture threshold test wherein in a ventricle based DDI mode a predetermined number of ventricle started atrial and ventricular escape intervals are triggered with an overdrive rate about 20% higher than an intrinsic heart rate. The number of atrial sense events during atrial capture threshold test is counted. Too high of a number of atrial sense events indicates loss of capture due to too small of a pulse strength of the atrial stimulation pulses.

Abstract: An active fixation cardiac electrode lead having a fixation helix movably placed in a housing at the electrode lead's distal end so as to be extended out of the housing's distal end and retraced into an inner space enclosed by the housing. The housing has a wall and a protrusion formed in the wall that protrudes into the inner space into interspaces between windings of the fixation helix. The protrusion causes an axial movement of the helix when the helix is rotated around its longitudinal axis. The protrusion is an integral part of the housing's wall which is bent or embossed to form the protrusion.

Abstract: A depolarization waveform classifier based on the Modified lifting line wavelet Transform is described. Overcomes problems in existing rate-based event classifiers. A task for pacemaker/defibrillators is the accurate identification of rhythm categories so correct electrotherapy can be administered. Because some rhythms cause rapid dangerous drop in cardiac output, it's desirable to categorize depolarization waveforms on a beat-to-beat basis to accomplish rhythm classification as rapidly as possible. Although rate based methods of event categorization have served well in implanted devices, these methods suffer in sensitivity and specificity when atrial/ventricular rates are similar. Human experts differentiate rhythms by morphological features of strip chart electrocardiograms. The wavelet transform approximates human expert analysis function because it correlates distinct morphological features at multiple scales.

Abstract: An electrode lead for implantation into a small heart vessel, especially into a coronary sinus, is provided with an elongated outer insulating lead body (1), having a proximal end (2), a distal end (3) and at least one electrode pole (4) at the distal end (3). At least one electrical conductor unit (6, 6?) leads to said electrode pole (4), each of said electrical conductor units (6, 6?) having a conductor core (7) and a separate insulating sheath (8) surrounding said conductor core (7). A lumen (9) is provided in said insulating lead body (1), being defined by a tubular envelope (10), to accommodate a guide wire means (11). The at least one electrical conductor unit (6, 6?) and the envelope (10) of the lumen (9) are each slidable relative to each other along their longitudinal direction (L) and fixed relative to each other at least in the vicinity of the distal end (3) of the lead body (1).

Abstract: A catheter, in particular for insertion of heart-pacemaker- or ICD-electrodes into a patient's body, comprises a catheter wall and a reinforcement therein for stabilization of the catheter. The reinforcement is a profile element which is adjusted to the desired mechanical properties of the catheter in the axial and peripheral direction thereof.

Abstract: A battery having a housing assembled from multiple parts, of which one housing part is implemented like a vessel having an initially open front side and the other housing part is a closure part, which closes the vessel-like housing part on its initially open front side, and having at least one first and at least one second electrode, each of which is formed by a planar material, of which the first electrode is electrically connected to an electrically conductive housing part of the battery, while the second electrode is electrically connected to an electrically conductive contact, which is electrically insulated from the remaining housing, the battery comprising a molded part which is provided with at least one first recess for receiving and positioning at least one section of the first electrode or the first electrodes at a time.

Abstract: The invention concerns implantable cardiac stimulation devices in general which have at least one stimulation pulse generator (A-STIM; RV-STIM; LV-STIM) to selectively generate a stimulation pulse for delivery to one of at least two different chambers of a heart, said chambers include right and left atria and right and left ventricles, at least one impedance measuring stage (I, U, IMP) being connected to electrodes or connectors for such electrodes to measure an intracardiac impedance when in use, a control unit (CTRL) connected to the stimulation pulse generator and to the impedance measuring unit and being adapted to process a minimum impedance value for a heart cycle to trigger stimulation pulses for two different chambers of the heart with an adjustable time delay (VVD; AVD) and to adjust said time delay depending upon the measured intracardiac impedance minimum value.

Abstract: Cardiac pacemaker, having at least one stimulation pulse generator to selectively generate stimulation pulses for delivery to an atrium or to an atrium and a ventricle of a heart in DDD mode, at least one sensing stage adapted to process electrical signals sensed by an atrial and ventricular sensing electrode to detect an atrial or ventricular event and to generate an atrial or ventricular sense signal upon event detection, a control unit connected to the generator and sensing stage and being adapted to trigger the generator in DDD mode, wherein the control unit is adapted to verify proper atrioventricular conduction and to switch from a regular (DDD) mode, wherein scheduled ventricular stimulation pulses having predetermined positive intensity is triggered unless inhibited to a ventricular pulse suppression mode (VPS mode) wherein no ventricular stimulation pulses or ventricular stimulation pulses of sub-threshold intensity are generated as long as proper atrioventricular conduction is verified.

Abstract: A heart stimulator for electrical stimulation of a heart chamber includes a sensing stage sensing excitation of the heart chamber via an electrode lead having an electrode for picking up heart chamber electric potentials, a stimulation pulse generator generating electric stimulation pulses for delivery to the heart chamber via a stimulation electrode, and a control unit connected to the sensing stage and the stimulation pulse generator and being adapted to trigger the stimulation pulses at a controlled stimulation rate. A monitoring stage is provided for preventing too high of a stimulation rate for too long of a period of time, with the monitoring stage being connected to the control unit and being adapted to monitor the controlled stimulation rate, and to override the controlled stimulation rate by a fixed stimulation rate for a predetermined period of time if the average controlled stimulation rate exceeds a predetermined maximum rate.

Abstract: An implantable device system comprising an implantable medical device, an external transceiver device and a service center. The implantable medical device comprises a battery and an electronic module including a stimulation pulse generator, a sensing stage, a control unit adapted to collect data representing values of operational parameters (e.g. peak or average current consumption, high/low/average voltage level) of the battery and the electronics. The external transceiver device comprises an external transceiver unit and a data communication interface and the service center comprises another data communication interface adapted to allow data communication with the external transceiver device.

Abstract: A heart stimulator for biventricular pacing comprises at least one stimulation pulse generator connected or connectable to a right ventricular or atrial stimulation electrode lead and a left ventricular or atrial electrode lead, respectively. The heart stimulator is adapted to generate right chamber stimulation pulses for a right atrium or ventricle and left chamber stimulation pulses for a left ventricle or atrium. A high rate protection unit connected to said stimulation pulse generator is adapted to trigger, upon any right or left chamber stimulation pulse, a protection time window having a predetermined duration in time and comprising an early part immediately followed by a late part. The protection unit is further adapted to only allow atrial or ventricular stimulation pulses in said early part of said protection time window and to suppress any atrial or ventricular stimulation pulse in said late part.

Abstract: An implantable medical device provides for improved storage of recorded IEGMs. A sensing stage is connected to an electrode for picking up electric potentials from inside a heart, the time course of said electric potentials representing a heart signal, a control unit connected to said sensing stage is adapted to process a sequence of data points that each represent an amplitude or magnitude A of a time-varying signal at equidistant points of time t, wherein end points of data segments are determined by processing of the sequence of data points. The control unit is adapted to identify end points of data segments by processing of the sequence of data points.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connecting piece for connecting to an electrode line and to an electric implant, whereby the connecting piece has an electrically conducting plug module, multiple ring-shaped electrically conducting contacts with insulation sections having the same outside diameter arranged in the longitudinal direction therebetween, multiple electric connecting lines, and a supporting element which supports the insulation sections and secures them in the radial direction. A through-bore situated within the supporting element receives the plug module and/or a feeder line of an electrode body. The supporting element has grooves spaced along the longitudinal direction, and recesses extending from the proximal end to the distal end and running parallel to the longitudinal axis wherein the electric connecting lines are fit.

Abstract: A biventricular heart stimulator is adapted to optimize an interventricular delay interval duration by minimizing a mechanical asynchrony between right and left ventricle. Mechanical asynchrony between right and left ventricle is determined by measuring right ventricular and left ventricular intracardiac impedance or conductivity.

Abstract: A heart stimulator provides for a more appropriate yet simple setting of the AV-delay. The heart stimulator comprises a stimulation pulse generator adapted to generate electric stimulation pulses and connected to a ventricular stimulation electrode for delivering electric stimulation pulses. A sensing stage connected to an electrode for picking up electric potentials inside a ventricle is adapted to sense an excitation or a contraction of a heart chamber. A memory is adapted to store parameters defining a Bezier function determining the relationship between AV-delay values and heart rate and a control unit connected to said memory, said sensing stage and to said stimulation pulse generator, is adapted to determine an actual AV-delay based on an actual intrinsic heart rate or an actual stimulation rate and a non-linear smoothing interpolation between said parameters stored in said memory.

Abstract: Implantable electrode lead for stimulation in or on the heart, comprising a body having an insulating and sealing outer surface, at least one electrical connection between an outwardly electrically active region having a connecting unit for the electrical connection to a cardiac pacemaker, cardioverter/defibrillator or other suitable electrically active implantable device, and an active or passive fixation. To reduce the electrical resistance while, at the same time, providing for a long life, the outwardly electrically active regions are manufactured with a component of high bioresistance, biocompatibility and non-toxicity, and a component with low electrical resistance.

Abstract: Heart stimulator that provides for timing a premature stimulation pulse for anti-tachycardia pacing outside the vulnerable phase of a ventricle, to terminate stable ventricular tachycardia while minimizing the risk of accelerating stable ventricular tachycardia into unstable ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. RT interval is determined instead of QT interval. Conventional QT interval is defined to end at T wave offset, which is difficult to measure because inherent imprecision in identifying the end of T wave from surface ECG. For safe ATP, such problems may be avoided. Because the VP usually refers to the portion of the T wave near the peak and early downslope (FIG. 3), in order to avoid the VP, only need to determine the peak of T wave, then set an blanking window or safety margin (e.g., 20 ms before to 20 ms after the peak of T wave) during which ATP pulses should not be delivered.