Abstract: A capsule includes a tubular body with, at its proximal end, a coupling member adapted to cooperate with a conjugated coupling member mounted at the distal end of a catheter of the implantation tool, for the transmission of a torque for the rotational driving of the capsule by the catheter. The coupling member of the tool includes a dihedral-shaped imprint, with two diverging arms in a V-arrangement, and the capsule coupling member includes a convex surface adapted to frictionally and slidingly urge against the diverging arms of the V-shape.

Abstract: The energy harvesting module is provided with a pendular unit comprising an inertial mass coupled to an elastic piezoelectric beam providing a power voltage. An acceleration sensor provides a signal representative of the instantaneous acceleration of the beam in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the beam, and an angular speed sensor provides a signal representative of the instantaneous angular speed of rotation of the beam about an axis perpendicular to a plane of bending of the beam. Based on the voltage, acceleration and angular speed values, a beam integrity monitoring circuit estimates parameters of a mechanical-electrical transfer function and derives therefrom metrics representative of physical and electrical parameters of the pendular unit and of the material of the beam. This makes it possible to evaluate the proper operation of the energy harvester and to detect a potential performance decrease liable to lead to a failure in the more or less short term.

Abstract: The capsule includes a tubular body and a front-end unit including an anchoring member for the anchoring of the capsule to a wall of a patient's organ. The front-end unit is mobile in relative axial rotation with respect to the tubular body, and a disengageable coupling member is adapted to allow this relative rotation when the tubular body receives an external rotational stress, the anchoring member then exerting a reaction torque higher than a predetermined threshold torque, and to prevent the relative rotation in the absence of external rotational stress applied to the tubular body. The coupling member may in particular include, between the front-end unit and the tubular body, a friction interface, with an elastically deformable element applying an axial compression between a bearing face of the tubular body and a support ring integral with the anchoring member.

Abstract: An autonomous implantable capsule comprises a capsule body provided with an element for its anchoring to a patient's organ. An electronic unit is powered by an energy harvesting module provided with a pendular unit comprising an inertial mass coupled to an elastic piezoelectric beam forming a mechanical-electrical transducer for converting into electrical energy the oscillations of the beam. A mobile support, integral with the clamped end of the beam and mobile in axial rotation about the axis of the capsule body, can be directed by a controllable driver to adjust the angular position of the support so as to maximize the produced electrical power converted by the mechanical-electrical transducer.

Abstract: An energy harvester converts into electrical energy the external stresses applied to the implant at the rhythm of the heartbeats. This harvester comprises an inertial unit. A transducer provides an oscillating electrical signal that is rectified and regulated, for powering the implant and/or charging a battery. The instantaneous variations of this electrical signal between two heartbeats are analyzed inside successive time windows, to derive therefrom a physiological parameter and/or a physical activity parameter of the patient with the implant, in particular as a function of a peak of amplitude of the first oscillation of the electrical signal, and of the level of this signal after the bounce phase of the signal oscillation.

Abstract: A receiver module of an autonomous implanted capsule receives a human body communication, HBC, signal sensed by an electrode in contact with body tissues or fluids of a patient. The signal is a pulse-modulated, baseband PPM pulse signal. The receiver module comprises a non-linear LNA amplifier stage comprising a pair of complementary transistors arranged as a voltage inverter circuit with an input coupled to the modulated-input-signal collecting electrode. The amplifier stage input is polarized to an intermediate operating point voltage between a supply voltage of the complementary transistor pair and a ground voltage. The amplifier stage has a gain of at least 40 dB, a gain-bandwidth product of at least 20 MHz, and a consumption lower than or equal to 100 nW.

Abstract: The device includes an energy harvesting module with a pendular unit formed of an elastically deformable piezoelectric beam associated with an inertial mass. A multifunction part includes an axial through-recess with inner bearing surfaces opposite respective outer faces of the beam. These bearing surfaces having an increasing transverse spacing, such as, during an oscillation cycle, the beam comes into contact with one of the bearing surfaces, hence reducing the free length of the beam as the bending of the latter goes along. The multifunction part also allows rationalizing the manufacturing and the assembly of the capsule, with high-level integration of the inner components of the implant.

Abstract: A steerable catheter comprises a mobile tube and an intermediate tube, coaxial with each other, which extend from a proximal end to a distal end of the catheter and are telescopically mounted into each other with possibility of mutual rotation and axial translation. The mobile tube comprises a central lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The intermediate tube comprises, along its whole length, a longitudinal notch radially offset in a direction of offset with respect to the axis of the steerable catheter and extending axially from the proximal end to the distal end. The longitudinal notch contains a cable adapted to undergo a traction exerted from the proximal end, the traction generating a bending of the steerable catheter directed towards the offset direction. The steerable catheter further comprises around the intermediate tube a sealed external sheath surrounding the intermediate tube over its periphery and covering the longitudinal notch over its length.

Abstract: An energy harvester converts into electrical energy the external stresses applied to the implant at the heartbeat rhythm. This harvester comprises an inertial unit and a transducer delivering an electrical signal that is rectified and regulated for powering the implant and charging an energy storage component. The charge level of the energy storage component is compared with a lower threshold to detect an insufficient charge, and a dynamic charging control circuit modifies, as and whenever necessary, and if the current patient's state allows it, a stimulation parameter in a direction liable to increase in return the mean level of the mechanical energy that is produced and harvested.

Abstract: An energy harvester converts into electrical energy the external stresses applied to the implant at the heartbeat rhythm. This harvester includes an inertial unit and a transducer delivering an oscillating electrical signal that is rectified and regulated for powering the implant and charging an energy storage component. The instantaneous variations of this electrical signal are analyzed in a detection window following or preceding a ventricular contraction, to obtain atrial activity information representative of the atrium contribution to the electric signal, in particular information about the presence/absence of a spontaneous atrial contraction, and/or parameters making it possible to determine an atrioventricular delay to be applied if the ventricle has to be stimulated.