Abstract: A stimulation apparatus, in particular for a human heart, has a stimulation unit, a signal detector and a control unit. The stimulation unit is adapted to deliver a stimulation pulse having a pulse duration, a pulse strength and a stimulation intensity. The signal detector is adapted to detect stimulation success on the basis of a picked-up signal. The control unit is connected to the stimulation unit and to the signal detector. It is designed such that the stimulation intensity varies depending upon the picked-up signal. A time-determining unit is provided that is at least indirectly connected to the control unit and with which a time difference between the delivery of a stimulation pulse and the pick-up of the picked-up signal or a signal feature of the picked-up signal can be detected.

Abstract: A stent, in particular a coronary stent, comprising at least two tubular portions which are arranged adjacently in the longitudinal direction of the stent and which comprise a plurality of interconnected, substantially cell-shaped elements which have an orientation and are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the stent by way of at least one first connecting means, wherein the elements are of such an arrangement and/or configuration that the ends of the elements which are in the longitudinal direction of the stent define an edge contour extending around the stent in a wave-like configuration in the peripheral direction thereof, and wherein the mutually adjoining edge contours of two tubular portions extend around the stent substantially in in-phase relationship.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data transmission between an electromedical implant having a first transmitter/receiver unit, such as a cardiological implant, and an associated external apparatus having a second transmitter/receiver unit. Data transmission begins with a triggering signal which is sent by the first transmitter/receiver unit in normal operation in predeterminable first intervals. Reception readiness of the first transmitter/receiver unit is maintained after emission of the triggering signal for a second time interval which is shorter than the first time interval.

Abstract: An implant for insertion in a portion of the human or animal blood circulation, in particular a stent, has a main body (2), at least a first material which is connected to the main body (2) and which includes at least one cell proliferation-inhibiting first substance, and a second material which decomposes in the implanted condition and which is of such an arrangement and nature that in a first condition prior to the commencement of its decomposition it prevents contact between the first substance and the surroundings of the main body (2) and in a second condition after the commencement of its decomposition it permits contact between the first substance and the surroundings of the main body (2) wherein the second material is further such that the second condition is achieved only after a first time interval which is sufficient for the formation of a body tissue coating (7) which encloses at least a portion of the surface of the main body (2).

Abstract: In a cardiac pacemaker arrangement comprising an electrode arranged floatingly in the atrium, a circuit for perceiving atrial signals, and a circuit for stimulating the atrial myocardium by means of the electrode, the invention proposes that in addition there is provided a wall-located electrode, and stimulation is effected by means of the wall-located electrode if the circuit, upon perceiving atrial signals, does not detect high-frequency irregularities—such as auricular fibrillation or atrial tachycardias—as on the basis of inadmissibly high signal frequencies—, and stimulation is effected by means of the floating electrode if the circuit, upon perceiving atrial signals, detects irregularities of that kind. This permits early detection and termination of atrial tachycardias and auricular fibrillation.

Abstract: A stent has a surface with an irregular coating formed on that surface. The irregular coating provides coating islands, especially coating islands that are substantially round. In some embodiments, the coating islands are arranged at a greater spacing in regions involving a greater degree of local stretching of the stent surface upon stretching of the stent than in regions involving a lesser degree of local stretching of the stent surface. In other embodiments, the coating islands are smaller in regions involving a greater degree of local stretching of the stent surface upon stretching of the stent than in regions involving a lesser degree of local stretching of the stent surface.

Abstract: An electromedical implant comprising a telemetry device for the exchange of data with an external apparatus is provided. The telemetry device comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device, wherein a separate energy storage means is provided for each of the transmitting device and the receiving device. A method of using an electromedical implant comprising a telemetry device for the exchange of data is also provided.

Abstract: A stent, in particular a coronary stent, for expansion from a first condition into an expanded second condition in which it holds a vessel in an expanded state, comprising a tubular body whose peripheral surface (1) is formed by a number of annular support portions (2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3) comprising bar elements (3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) which are connected in the longitudinal direction of the stent by way of connecting bars (4, 4.1, 4.2), wherein the bar elements (3.1) of at least a first support portion (2.1) and a second support portion (2.2) in adjacent relationship in a first direction (6.1) extend in a meander configuration in the peripheral direction of the stent and the connecting bars (4, 4.1, 4.2) to the second support portion (2.2) engage in the region of the turning points (5, 5.2, 5.3) of the first support portion (2.1), which turning points face in the first direction (6.1), wherein at least two adjacent connecting bars (4.1, 4.2) engage respectively in the region of a turning point (5.

Abstract: A polymer material, in particular for a medical instrument such as a balloon catheter, is provided. The polymer material comprising a combination at least of a first constituent comprising a partly crystalline polymer and a second constituent for increasing the flexibility of the material, wherein the polymer material is in the form of a polymer alloy, and wherein the first constituent is formed of a polyamide or a polyether block amide and the second constituent is formed at least partly by a thermoplastic elastomer based on polystyrene (TPE-S). A process for producing the polymer material and a medical device incorporating the polymer material are also provided.

Abstract: A heart therapy device includes a heart rate detector unit for detecting a heart rate, an evaluation and control unit adaptable to evaluate a measured heart rate and output a therapy control signal, and a therapy unit coupled to the output of the evaluation and control means for realizing at least one therapy having a predetermined therapy. The evaluation and control unit includes a three-area memory for storing heart rate value ranges, a heart rate discriminator for allocating a measured heart rate and outputting a first, second or third discriminator output signal, a stability evaluation unit for outputting a stability output signal and evaluating heart rate stability over a predetermined period of time in response to the output of the second heart rate discriminator output signal, and a logical processing unit for processing the second discriminator output.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electrode line (12) for an implantable intravascular electrostimulation device (10), wherein the electrode line (12) is electrically conductively connected with its proximal end (16) to the electrostimulation device (10) and with its distal end (18) to one or more functional elements. It is distinguished in that the electrode line (12) comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer in which the individual polymer chains of the polymer are so oriented that there is a high electrical conductivity in the axial direction of the electrode line (12) but not in the radial direction (electrical anisotropy).

Abstract: The invention concerns methods of coating stents and stents produced in accordance therewith. The object of the invention is to provide methods of coating stents with a polysaccharide layer which has improved adhesion capacity on the substrate surface of the implant, and to afford correspondingly functionalized stents. That is achieved inter alia by covalent bonding of a non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid to a substrate surface of the stent with the formation of hyaluronic acid layer and crosslinking of the hyaluronic acid layer.

Abstract: An evaluation method that includes: recording the values of a physiological signal during a certain measuring period; dividing the obtained time series of signal values into individual segments; mapping successive subsets of the individual signal values in a segment on associated symbol series according to the criterion of whether a respective signal value increases or decreases as compared to the preceding signal value; determining the frequencies of the varying symbol series; determining a testing parameter which reflects the frequency ratio, within a segment, of correlated symbol series to anti-correlated symbol series; determining the relative difference of the testing parameters of two adjacent segments; and comparing the relative difference of two testing parameters with a given threshold as a criterion for the stationarity of the time series of the recorded physiological signal.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for crimping a stent onto a balloon of a balloon catheter. The stent is arranged on the balloon so that an outside surface of the balloon and an inside surface of the stent contact each other to form a combination of balloon and stent. The combination is compressed to crimp the stent onto the balloon. The invention is distinguished in that the combination is compressed to varying degrees along the longitudinal axis of the combination.

Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement (10) for and an associated method of monitoring and adjusting a control of an electromedical implant (12) for intracardial cardiac therapy by means of an external control and evaluation unit (14).

Abstract: The invention concerns an endovascular implant, in particular a stent, with an at least portion-wise active coating. The object of the present invention is to provide locally therapeutic formulations for the treatment of stenosis or restenosis. The implants modified in accordance with the invention are to ensure improved compatibility, in particular in regard to any inflammatory and proliferative processes in the tissue environment. That is achieved in that the active coating includes, as an active substance: 1) PPAR&agr;-agonists, PPAR&dgr;-agonists or a combination thereof; 2) an RXR-agonist; or 3) a combination of PPAR-agonists and RXR-agonists.

Abstract: An arrangement for treating rhythm disturbances of a heart (H), especially tachycardia and fibrillation, has a device (FD) for detecting the heart rhythm and determining when a fibrillation threshold limit is exceeded and a therapy device or stimulator (IG). The therapy device (IG) is connected to the heart rhythm detecting device (FD), to begin to treat the fibrillation when the fibrillation threshold limit is exceeded. The heart rhythm detecting device determines whether a redetection threshold limit is still exceeded after the therapy device has treated the fibrillation, the redetection threshold limit being lower than the fibrillation threshold limit and higher than a tachycardia threshold limit. The therapy device continues to treat the fibrillation as long as the heart rhythm detector determines that the redection threshold limit is exceeded.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac pacemaker (1) comprising a control device (2) including a position detector connected to a movement sensor, wherein the position detector has a classification device (23) for recognizing short movements. Preferably the position detector has a memory device (25).

Abstract: An arrangement for determining the heart rate (fRR) or the refractory time of the cardiac tissue, particularly for detecting tachycardia or fibrillation, has an electrode (E) for sensing heart action signals (SIG), an input stage, connected to the electrode, for processing the heart action signals, a refractory member for ascertaining a refractory time value of the arrangement, in each case after a predetermined segment of a heart action signal, and a processing device, connected to the output of the input stage or of the refractory member, for determining the rate of the heart action signals, processed with blanking of the component that occurs during the refractory time, or for determining the refractory time value of the cardiac tissue.

Abstract: A method of storing signals having a course over time in an implantable medical device, and/or transmitting the signals out of the device and out of the patient's body, with the course over time being detected in the device, particularly at predetermined time intervals with a constant sampling interval, and a sequence of signal samples being obtained therefrom, of which a partial quantity is stored and/or transmitted as the result of a selection made with a predetermined selection criterion, with the selection criterion being the first derivation of the course over time of the signals according to time, and with the selection being made such that the first derivation of the straight-line connection between an nth and the (n?1)th signal sample is determined and compared to the first derivation of the straight-line connection between the (n?1)th nth signal sample and the last-stored and/or last-transmitted signal sample, and the nth (n?1)th signal sample is then stored and/or transmitted as the new last signal