Patents Assigned to Medtronic, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11925801
    Abstract: A system including a stimulation generator configured to delivery external stimulation to control or alleviate urinary or fecal incontinence. The system may also include sense electrodes configured to sense the presence of wetness. The system may provide closed loop therapy based on the presence of wetness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xuan K Wei, Eric H. Bonde, John R. LaLonde, David A. Dinsmoor
  • Patent number: 11925806
    Abstract: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) electrodes are positioned within (or adjacent to) white matter fiber tracts in a brain of patient. The DBS electrodes may be positioned near one or more stimulation sites within the white matter fiber tracts. The stimulation sites may be selected based on the disorder of the patient. In some examples, the stimulation sites may be selected based on one or more symptoms of the patient. In some examples, additional electrodes may be positioned in another area to collect bioelectrical brain signals. The area in which the additional electrodes are placed is an area that is different from the stimulation site but is targeted by stimulation therapy provided at the stimulation site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon E. Giftakis, Paul H. Stypulkowski
  • Patent number: 11918377
    Abstract: A wearable garment and an arrangement of electrodes configured to measure bioelectrical signals from a patient. The dry electrodes are free from adhesives to hold the electrodes in place on the patient's skin. The arrangement of the electrodes may be configured to limit noise and facilitate accurate signal sensing from the patient even with some amount of relative movement between the electrodes and the patient's skin. The wearable garment may be controllable to change the amount of compression based on the sensed signals from the electrodes, and from other sensors. The garment may maintain a comfortable level of compression until processing circuitry detects a signal of interest, such as a cardiac arrhythmia, irregular respiration, or some other signal. The processing circuitry may cause the wearable garment to increase compression to improve the contact between the electrodes and the patient's skin and improve reception of the measured signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Cao, Arthur K. Lai, Laura A. Chicos, Paul J. DeGroot
  • Patent number: 11918367
    Abstract: An example device for detecting one or more parameters of a cardiac signal is disclosed herein. The device includes one or more electrodes and sensing circuitry configured to sense a cardiac signal via the one or more electrodes. The device further includes processing circuitry configured to determine an R-wave of the cardiac signal and determine whether the R-wave is noisy. Based on the R-wave being noisy, the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the cardiac signal around a determined T-wave is noisy. Based on the cardiac signal around the determined T-wave not being noisy, the processing circuitry is configured to determine a QT interval or a corrected QT interval based on the determined T-wave and the determined R-wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Gautham Rajagopal, Shantanu Sarkar
  • Patent number: 11918466
    Abstract: A medical device delivery system can include a dilator including a tip having a taper in a distal direction, a coupler, and a flap that radially protrudes from the tip. The flap can be configured to bend against a body lumen to cover at least a portion of the delivery system when the dilator is tracked through the body lumen. A medical device delivery system can include a dilator including a tip having a lumen and a coupler having a lumen. The coupler can be configured to securely connect to the tip such that the lumen of the tip is aligned with the lumen of the coupler to allow a guide wire to pass therethrough. Methods for loading a medical device into a delivery catheter are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Niall Duffy, John Gallagher, Gerry McCaffrey, Noam Miller, Glenn Stante
  • Patent number: 11918802
    Abstract: Examples of implantable medical leads or implantable medical systems with implantable medical leads to be anchored to a sacrum are disclosed. The implantable medical leads include a lead body having a distal portion. A fixation mechanism is coupled to the distal portion. An electrode array is mechanically coupled to the fixation mechanism. In one example, the electrode array is directly coupled to the fixation mechanism. The electrode array is electrically coupled to the lead body and configured to generate a stimulation field. The fixation mechanism is configured to anchor the implantable medical lead to a sacrum and effect the stimulation field in a foramen of the sacrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah J. Offutt, Juan G. Hincapie, Jerel K. Mueller, Robert T. Sandgren, Katie Bittner
  • Patent number: 11918819
    Abstract: Techniques for facilitating communication between an implantable medical device and an external device are provided. In one example, a method comprises broadcasting, via communication circuitry of an implantable device, a first set of advertisements at a first advertising rate according to a communication protocol. The method further comprises determining that detection circuitry of the implantable device detected voltage induced by an electromagnetic field at an interface between tissue of a patient and electrodes of the implantable device and in response to the detection of voltage induced by the electromagnetic field, broadcasting, via the communication circuitry, a second set of advertisements at a second advertising rate according to the communication protocol. The second advertising rate is greater than the first advertising rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Val D. Eisele, Robert M. Ecker, David J. Peichel, William J. Plombon, James D. Reinke
  • Patent number: 11918815
    Abstract: An example device for detecting one or more parameters of a cardiac signal is disclosed herein. The device includes one or more electrodes and sensing circuitry configured to sense a cardiac signal via the one or more electrodes. The device further includes processing circuitry configured to determine a representative signal based on the cardiac signal, the representative signal having a single polarity, and determine an end of a T-wave of the cardiac signal based on an area under the representative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Medtronic, Inc., UMC Utrecht Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Alfonso Aranda Hernandez, Berthold Stegemann, Marc A. Vos, David J. Sprenkeler
  • Patent number: 11911622
    Abstract: An implantable medical device system is configured to generate signals representing activity of a heart of a patient; determine, based on the signals, an intrinsic delay of the heart of the patient; determine whether the intrinsic delay is indicative of a first-degree heart block being present in the heart of the patient; determine a patient-specific timing regime for conduction system pacing based on whether the intrinsic delay is indicative of the first-degree heart block being present in the heart of the patient; and administer cardiac pacing to a native conduction system of the heart of the patient based on the timing regime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Stadler, Subham Ghosh, Jian Cao, Andrea Grammatico, Sarah Meloni, Xiaohong Zhou
  • Patent number: 11911623
    Abstract: A method, system and device for implanting an electrode assembly of an implantable medical device in a patient's heart. Positioning one or more radiopaque markers in a coronary sinus of the patient's heart. Positioning, by using the one or more positioned radiopaque markers as a fluoroscopic visual reference, a distal tip of a delivery catheter within a right atrium of the patient's heart so that a distal opening of a lumen of the catheter is against a septal wall of the heart at a location between the ostium of the coronary sinus and the A-V nodal area of the right atrium, and so that the tip of the catheter is generally directed toward a left ventricle of the patient's heart. Advancing the electrode assembly through the lumen of the catheter and into the septal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Vicki L. Bjorklund, Xin Chen, William J. Clemens, Lilian Kornet, Jean Rutten, Berthold Stegemann, Zhongping Yang
  • Patent number: 11916256
    Abstract: In some examples, an assembly for a medical device. The assembly includes a first electrode comprising a first conductive tab, and a first current collector; a second electrode including a second conductive tab, a second current collector, a third current collector, and at least one connector connecting the second current collector to the third current collector, wherein the second current collector and the third current collector are folded over each other about the at least one connector, wherein the second conductive tab is coupled to the second current collector, and wherein the third current collector is electrically coupled to second conductive tab via the at least one connector and the second current collector; and a foil package being sealed over the first conductive tab and the second conductive tab to partially enclose the first electrode and second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph J. Viavattine, Erik J. Hovland
  • Patent number: 11911177
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and techniques for determining an efficacy of a treatment program. For example, a medical device system includes a medical device including one or more sensors configured to generate a signal that indicates a parameter of a patient. Additionally, the medical device system includes processing circuitry configured to receive data indicative of a user selection of a reference time; determine a plurality of parameter values of the parameter based on a portion of the signal corresponding to a period of time including the reference time. Additionally, the processing circuitry is configured to identify, based on a first set of parameter values, a reference parameter value, calculate a parameter change value, and determine, based on the parameter change value, whether an improvement or a worsening of the patient has occurred responsive to a treatment administered beginning at the reference time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Ekaterina M. Ippolito, Shantanu Sarkar, Eduardo N. Warman, Joel R. Lauer
  • Patent number: 11911168
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for determining whether cardiac conduction system pacing therapy may be beneficial and/or determining how proximal or distal a cardiac conduction system block may be using external cardiac signals. To do so, one or more left-sided metrics of electrical heterogeneity information may be generated based on left-sided surrogate cardiac electrical measured using a plurality of left external electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventor: Subham Ghosh
  • Patent number: 11911166
    Abstract: A medical device system is configured to guide implantation of a pacing electrode for left bundle branch pacing. The system includes a medical device having a processor configured to receive at least one cardiac electrical signal, determine a feature of the cardiac electrical signal, compare the feature to left bundle branch signal criteria, and determine a left bundle branch signal in response to the feature meeting the left bundle branch signal criteria. The system includes a display unit configured to generate a user feedback signal indicating advancement of a pacing electrode into a left portion of a ventricular septum in response to the processor determining the left bundle branch signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaohong Zhou, Wade M. Demmer, Robert W. Stadler
  • Patent number: 11904161
    Abstract: A lead assembly includes a central lead member having a distal portion configured to extend along a longitudinal axis. The lead assembly also includes two or more side lead members disposed around the central lead member. Each side lead member includes a deploying portion extending at an angle away from the longitudinal axis. Each deploying portion has a proximal portion and a distal portion. The distal portion is laterally spaced from the central lead member and extends more parallel to the longitudinal axis than the proximal portion. The lead assembly also includes one or more electrodes attached to the distal portion of the deploying portion of each side lead member. The lead assembly optionally includes a cannula comprising a lumen, an end portion, and a buckler disposed in the lumen on the end portion for deploying the lead members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard T. Stone, Michael T. Hegland
  • Patent number: 11904175
    Abstract: A battery configured to support a relatively high rate of energy discharge relative to its capacity for energy intensive therapy delivery. The battery includes a feedthrough insulator cap disposed within the interior of the battery on at least a portion of a ferrule, at least a portion of an insulator, and at least a portion of a pin, which define a feedthrough extending through an enclosure of the battery; a first electrode disposed within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the pin; a second electrode disposed within the enclosure and separated a distance from the first electrode; and an electrolyte disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. During operation of the battery, the feedthrough insulator cap reduces dendrite formation on at least a portion of the ferrule, the pin, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Louwagie, Richard W. Swenson, Joel Hoepner, David J. DeSmet
  • Patent number: 11904170
    Abstract: A system for selecting a sensitivity level for adjusting an intensity setting for therapy provided to a patient includes one or more processors and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors are configured to receive an indication of an input to adjust an intensity setting related to the therapy provided to the patient and determine a sensitivity level for adjustment of the intensity setting based on an efficacy of the therapy provided to the patient. The one or more processors are further configured to determine an updated intensity level for the intensity setting based on the sensitivity level and the input to adjust the intensity setting and output an instruction to cause a medical device to provide the therapy at the updated intensity level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd D. Zenisek, Touby A. Drew, Brian Andrew Smith, Juan G. Hincapie, Leonid M. Litvak
  • Patent number: 11904173
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable storage media facilitating telemetry overuse reduction in a medical device, such as an implantable medical device (“IMD”) are provided. In one embodiment, an IMD includes a housing configured to be implanted at least partially within a patient, a memory and circuitry within the housing and a processor that executes executable components stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew R. Yoder, Bo Zhang, Gary P. Kivi, Richard A. Sanden
  • Patent number: 11904172
    Abstract: An external device transfers a key to an implantable medical device over a proximity communication and then establishes a first far field communication session with the implantable medical device where the key is used for the first communication session. This first communication session may occur before implantation while the implantable medical device is positioned outside of the sterile field so that using a proximity communication is easily achieved. Once the implantable medical device is passed into the sterile field for implantation, the external device may then establish a second far field communication session with the implantable medical device where the last key that was used for the first communication session is again used for the second communication session which avoids the need for another proximity communication to occur within the sterile field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: Warren W. Ball, Ajinkya M. Joglekar, Nathan A. Torgerson, Matthew L. Plante
  • Patent number: 11909042
    Abstract: A rechargeable lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode enabling fast charging. A negative electrode has a first active material including Li4Ti5O12. A positive electrode includes a second active material including LiCoO2. The positive electrode further includes a carbon conductive agent and a binder. A weight ratio of the carbon conductive agent to the binder is in a range of about 2:3 to about 3:2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Ye, Prabhakar A. Tamirisa