Abstract: A battery-powered electrical device is disclosed, which may be implemented as an implantable medical device, wherein the device contains at least one battery voltage monitoring unit which is designed to monitor a voltage profile at a battery during the charging of a capacitor, via a transformer in a charging circuit, and which on the basis of the voltage characteristic is able to specify a magnetic presaturation of the transformer, and one control unit which terminates the charging process whenever a predefined threshold value for the magnetic presaturation of the transformer is exceeded.

Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for detecting electromagnetic fields, in particular, fields occurring in magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. An implantable medical device (IMD), contained in a hermetically sealed housing, includes a control unit, a programming coil, and a communication unit, wherein the communication unit, together with the programming coil, is designed to allow communication between an external programming device and the IMD by utilizing alternating electromagnetic fields, and further comprising a detection unit for MRT interference fields, characterized in that the detection unit is designed in such a way that voltage profiles induced in the programming coil and originating from a pulsed alternating electromagnetic field of the MRT (gradient field) are detected, and a corresponding MRT detection signal is transmitted from the detection unit to the control unit, if communication with a programming device is not detected at the same time.

Abstract: A device for the analysis of an endocardiac signal of acceleration. The device preprocesses the acquired endocardiac acceleration (EA) signal by cutting the signal EA collected into sub-signals EA, each one have a duration of one cardiac cycle; separating the cut signals to isolate in each sub-signal EA at least one component EAx, associated with a major cardiac sound, and preferably into components EA1 and EA2 associated with the two major cardiac sounds S1 and S2; and performing a correlation on each component EA1 and EA2, to readjust each sub-signal in relation to a maximum of correlation, so as to deliver a readjusted component EA1 and a readjusted component EA2. The device further determines, starting from the isolated correlated components EA1 and EA2, a component average EA1 and a component average EA2, and to combine these components EA1 and average EA2 so as to produce an average global signal EA for one cycle.

Abstract: An active implantable medical device for one of cardiac stimulation, resynchronization, and defibrillation is shown and described. The device includes means for placing an electronic circuit in a safekeeping operating mode in response to detecting a first magnetic field associated with a permanent magnet and detecting a second magnetic field associated with an MRI imager.

Abstract: An active implantable medical device of the cardiac prosthesis type, including antitachycardia atrial pacing and antibradycardia ventricular pacing therapies. The device includes circuits and control logic for detecting electrical atrial and ventricular spontaneous events (R), delivering low energy antitachycardia atrial pacing, and antibradycardia ventricular pacing, and able to deliver a ventricular pacing (V) in the absence of a detected spontaneous ventricular event (R) after a calculated ventricular escape interval (IE). The device includes a sensor delivering an endocardiac acceleration signal (EA) representative of the movements produced by the contractions of the ventricle.

Abstract: A system of an autonomous intracardiac capsule and its implantation accessory. The autonomous capsule (10) includes a tubular body (12) with an anchoring screw (14) for penetrating the wall of a cavity of the heart, and at least one coupling finger (20, 22) radially projecting outwards. The implantation accessory (26) includes a lead body (28) with a sheath (30, 32) of deformable material supporting on the distal side a helical guide (36, 52), for guiding and driving by rotation the capsule. This helical guide is integral with the lead body, and its inner diameter is homologous to the outer diameter of the cylindrical body of the capsule so the latter can be housed it in, the coupling fingers protruding between the coils of the guide. The helix direction of the helical guide (36) is opposite to that of the anchoring screw (14). The helical guide is resiliently compressible in axial direction, and its helix pitch (38) is increased in the free distal end portion (40).

Abstract: A method for making an hermetic and electrically insulating feedthrough in the metal wall of a housing of a device, preferably of an active medical device, is disclosed. The method includes: a) forming electrically insulating layers (24, 26) on each of the internal and external sides of the wall (10), b) on the internal side of the wall, forming a non-through groove with a closed contour (30) defining in the wall a metal islet (28) that is physically and electrically isolated from the rest of the wall, by removing the entire thickness of the electrically insulating internal layer (26) and the wall (10), leaving intact a sufficient thickness of the electrically insulating external layer (24) so that the external layer mechanically supports the metal islet, and c) on the external and internal sides respectively, exposing pads (34, 36) for making an electrical contact to the metallic islet, by a localized removal of material of the electrically insulating external and internal layers (24, 26), respectively.

Abstract: A left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion system and a method for occluding the LAA are disclosed. The LAA occlusion plug includes at least two expandable materials having shrunken and swollen states, two plates and a delivery tool configured to deliver the occlusion plug to the LAA. The LAA occlusion plug is configured to permanently occlude the LAA opening, such that blood clots cannot flow out of the LAA when the at least two hydrogels are in the swollen state. The LAA occlusion plug plates are configured to force the expandable materials to swell inwards in the axial direction and outwards in the radial direction such that the LAA occlusion plug is clipped to the LAA opening tissue.

Abstract: A intracorporeal medical capsule is shown and described. The capsule includes an elastically deformable base having an anchor at one end and coupled to a capsule body at the opposite end. An energy harvesting element is elastically coupled to a seismic mass within the capsule body. The elastically deformable base increases energy harvested at the energy harvesting element due to elastic movement of the capsule body in the presence of blood flow around the capsule body.

Abstract: An intracorporeal capsule for placement in a heart and for energy harvesting using blood pressure variations is shown and described. The capsule includes a capsule body and a piezoelectric strip coupled to a rigid surface for receiving blood pressure force. The piezoelectric strip is normally perpendicular to the direction of the force on the rigid surface. The piezoelectric strip is disconnected from the capsule body along at least two edges of the piezoelectric strip such that the blood pressure force can move the rigid surface, and thereby deform the piezoelectric strip for energy harvesting.

Abstract: An electrotherapy system, particularly an implantable heart stimulator, is configured as an electronic implant for electrical anti-tachycardia therapy of the heart, and includes at least one programmable therapy sequence (i.e. a sequence of several therapies that are delivered, one after the other, to treat a VT/VF episode). The implant has a therapy success memory for storing therapy success statistics for each therapy, as well as a therapy control unit that is configured to automatically undertake adaptation of the order of the therapies within a therapy sequence as a function of currently stored therapy success statistics.

Abstract: An active medical device using non-linear filtering for the reconstruction of a surface electrocardiogram (ECG) from an endocardial electrogram (EGM) is disclosed. The device for the reconstruction of the surface ECG comprises: a plurality of inputs, receiving a corresponding plurality of EGM signals from endocardial or epicardial electrogram (x1[n], x2[n]), each collected on a respective EGM derivation of a plurality of EGM derivations, and at least one output delivering a reconstructed surface ECG electrocardiogram signal (y[n]), related to an ECG derivation, and a non-linear digital filter (12?, 12?, 14) with a transfer function that determines the reconstructed ECG signal based on said plurality of input EGM signals. The non-linear digital filter includes a Volterra filter type (12, 12?, 12?) whose transfer function includes a linear term (h1) and at least one quadratic (h2) and/or cubic (h3) term(s).

Abstract: A feedthrough for a battery having a first terminal element (1) and a second terminal element (2), which are at different electric potentials. The first terminal element (1) and/or the second terminal element (2) has (have) have a coating (3) which is produced by chemical vapor deposition and which prevents a short circuit between the first terminal element (1) and the second terminal element (2). Furthermore, a simple and inexpensive method for manufacturing such a coating is provided. The invention also relates to a battery having at least one such feedthrough.

Abstract: A system for the endocardial stimulation/defibrillation of the left ventricle. This system includes a generator (60) and an endocardial lead having a distal end (30) which extends into the right ventricle (14). The lead includes anchor (32) for coupling the distal end to the interventricular septum (20). The lead body carries on it a stimulating and/or defibrillation electrode (38) (64, 66). A microcable (42) extends into the lead body and beyond, with an intermediate portion (56) crossing from one side of the interventricular septum (20) to the other, and an active free portion (58) that emerges in the left ventricle (16). The microcable is coupled to the generator, to produce an electric field (62) between, on one hand, the stimulation electrode (38) or defibrillation electrode (64, 66) of the lead body and, on the other hand, a bare region of the active free portion (58) of microcable (42).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an active medical device that uses non-linear filtering for reconstructing a surface electrocardiogram from an endocardial electrogram. At least one endocardial EGM electrogram signal is collected from of samples collected from at least one endocardial or epicardial derivation (71?, 72?, 73?), and at least one of a reconstructed surface electrocardiogram (ECG) signal through the processing of collected EGM samples by a transfer function (TF) of a neural network (60?). The neural network (60?) is a time-delay-type network that simultaneously processes said at least one endocardial EGM electrogram signal, formed by a first sequence of collected samples, and at least one delayed version of this EGM signal, formed by a second sequence of collected samples distinct from the first sequence collected samples. The neural network (60?) provides said reconstructed ECG signal from the EGM signal and its delayed version.

Abstract: A device and a method for recognizing electromagnetic fields, specifically those fields that occur in image-guided nuclear spin tomography examinations (hereinafter MRT or MRI). In particular, it relates to an implantable medical device (IMD) containing a unit for detecting MRT activity, whereby the unit for the detection of MRT activity consists of at least one vibration transducer that transforms vibrations and/or oscillations caused by an MRT device into an electrical or optical signal and the unit for detecting MRT activity recognizes an MRT activity because of this signal.

Abstract: A pacing lead for a left cavity of the heart, implanted in the coronary system. One lead includes a telescopic microcable including multiple distinct bare areas that form a network of stimulation electrodes. The microcable includes a diameter providing for insertion of the microcable within smaller portions of the coronary vein system. The diameter may be selected from between 0.5 and 2 French. The microcable includes multiple strands twisted together. At least some strands incorporate either a core of radiopaque material wrapped by a sheath of mechanically durable material, or vice-versa. The bare areas that form the network of stimulation electrodes are provided on outward-facing portions of at least some of the strands.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a heart monitor, which is connected to or can be connected to at least one sensor for pressure and volume data or equivalent substitute variables and which comprises an evaluation unit for processing at least one input signal reflecting the temporal course of pressure and volume data or equivalent substitute variables of the heart. The evaluation unit is configured such that it segments the input signal in accordance with individual completed cardiac cycles and examines segments of the input signal obtained in this way as to whether a particular segment of the input signal represents a PV diagram, which corresponds to specified quality conditions regarding the direction of circulation, morphology and distance between a starting and end values.

Abstract: A lead for an implantable cardiac prosthesis, having an integrated protection against the effects of magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) fields. A protection circuit (26), placed at the distal end of the lead comprises a resistive component (28) interposed between the electrode (E1, E2) and the distal end of the conductor (22, 24) associated with this electrode. A normally-open controlled active switch (34, 36), allows in its closed state to short-circuit the resistive component. A control stage (32) is coupled to the conductors and detects the voltage of a stimulation pulse applied on the conductor(s), and selectively controls by this voltage the closing of the active switch for a duration at least equal to the duration of detected stimulation pulse.

Abstract: A heart stimulation system comprises an electrode lead comprising at least one stimulation electrode a stimulation pulse generator adapted to generate electric stimulation pulses and being connected to said electrode lead for delivering electric stimulation pulses to at least one chamber of a heart via said stimulation electrode, and a control unit that is connected to said stimulation pulse generator. The electrode lead is a coronary sinus lead adapted to be placed inside the coronary sinus of a human heart and comprises an ultrasonic transducer that is adapted to measure a velocity of blood flow across a mitral valve of a human heart and that is placed on said coronary sinus lead such that the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the coronary sinus or the great cardiac vein when the coronary sinus lead is in its implanted state.