Abstract: A medical device module for use in a system with a remote programmer and/or a personal data assistant (PDA) with at least one medical device includes a housing, at least one medical device and a processor. The housing is adapted to couple with the PDA. The at least one medical device interface is coupled to the housing for interfacing with the at least one medical device. The processor is coupled to the at least one medical device interface to process data from the at least one medical device. The processor is also capable of interfacing with the PDA.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for renal neuromodulation using a pulsed electric field to effectuate electroporation or electrofusion. It is expected that renal neuromodulation (e.g., denervation) may, among other things, reduce expansion of an acute myocardial infarction, reduce or prevent the onset of morphological changes that are affiliated with congestive heart failure, and/or be efficacious in the treatment of end stage renal disease. Embodiments of the present invention are configured for percutaneous intravascular delivery of pulsed electric fields to achieve such neuromodulation.

Abstract: Techniques relate to operating a medical device in response to a detected posture state of a patient. A trigger event such as a request to modify how therapy is being delivered to the patient may cause a determination to be made as to whether the patient's posture state is stable. If the posture state is stable, an association is created between the posture state and one or more therapy parameter values. Over time, a library of such associations is created that may reflect any posture state in three dimensional space, wherein a posture state comprises at least one of a posture and an activity component. The library of associations may be used to automatically control therapy delivery. Similar ones of the associations may automatically be grouped into posture state regions to facilitate more efficient classification of the patient's posture state to control therapy delivery.

Abstract: A prosthetic valve including a replacement valve having a tubular valve body wall, an expandable stent having a framework with first and second ends, and suturing holding the framework to the valve body at the first and second ends. The suturing at the first end is colored differently from the suturing at the second end.

Abstract: Treatment of aneurysmal blood vessels with local delivery of therapeutic agents thereby reduces or lessens the severity of an aneurysm, and, where used in conjunction with the placement of an excluding device, provides for more rapid recovery of the blood vessel from any disturbance occurring during placement of the excluding device. Therapeutic agents are placed in the aneurysmal site in a time-release carrier medium, such that the therapeutic agent is released into the aneurysmal site over a period of time without the need to provide systemic introduction of the therapeutic agent. The carrier may be introduced through the patient's dermis, such as with the use of a laparoscope, or intravascularly, through the use of a catheter. The carrier may be in a solid matrix, viscous liquid or liquid form.

Abstract: A system for use in managing a neuromodulation therapy includes an ultrasound transducer array controlled by a control unit to deliver ultrasound waveforms for causing modulation of neural tissue in a patient. The system acquires data indicating a response to the modulation, analyzes the acquired data to determine correlation data between a response to the modulation and an ultrasound control parameter, and reports the correlation data to enable identification of at least one therapy parameter to be used to deliver a neuromodulation therapy to the patient by a therapy delivery system.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus and method according to which a cable assembly is connected to a handpiece and includes a sensing element, and a member adapted to move relative to the sensing element to control the operation of a motor in the handpiece.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed related to wires that may be used within a medical device. According to one example, a wire may include a core formed of a material having a resistivity of less than 25 micro-ohm-cm and a layer of a biocompatible beta titanium alloy surrounding the core. As one example, the beta titanium alloy has an elastic modulus ranging from 30 GigaPascals (GPa) to 90 GPa and comprises at least two elements from a group consisting of titanium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, iron and tin. In one embodiment, the core may be formed of silver, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, niobium, a niobium alloy, platinum, a platinum alloy, palladium, or a palladium alloy. In some examples, one or more wires may be incorporated into a coil or a cable and one or more such coils or cables may be carried by a medical device such as a medical electrical lead.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide analyte sensors having elements designed to modulate their chemical reactions as well as methods for making and using such sensors. In certain embodiments of the invention, the sensor includes an analyte modulating membrane that comprises a blended mixture of a linear polyurethane/polyurea polymer, and a branched acrylate polymer.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, apparatuses, etc. for glucose sensor signal purity analysis. In certain example embodiments, a series of samples of at least one sensor signal that is responsive to a blood glucose level of a patient may be obtained. Based at least partly on the series of samples, at least one metric may be determined to characterize one or more non-physiological anomalies of a representation of the blood glucose level of the patient by the at least one sensor signal. A reliability of the at least one sensor signal to represent the blood glucose level of the patient may be assessed based at least partly on the at least one metric. Other example embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Detection of end of stroke for an electromagnetic pump may be performed using, for example, a calculated first flux derivative. Further, inductance of a coil that can be energized to produce a pump stroke may be calculated (e.g., the pump may include an actuator moveable in response to the energization of the coil). For example, the inductance may be calculated as a function of sense coil current and source electrical potential when the actuator is not moving for use in determining position of the actuator.

Abstract: Techniques for determining whether a lead related condition exists based on analysis of a cardiac electrical signal associated with a non-sustained tachyarrhythmia (NST) are described. In some examples, the techniques include determining the duration of intervals between consecutive cardiac events, e.g., R-R intervals, during an NST. The techniques may further include determining one or more metrics based on the durations of the intervals during the NST. Examples of metrics include an average, a minimum, a maximum, a range, a median, a mode, or a mean. A lead related condition is identified based on the values of the one or more metrics, e.g., by comparison to respective thresholds. In some examples, an alert is provided or a therapy modification is suggested if a lead related condition is identified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing a computer assisted procedure is provided. A method and apparatus for performing a procedure is also provided. Data can be accessed and processed to optimize and perform a procedure. The data can be augmented or supplemented with patient specific data.

Abstract: An volume of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of a volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of other imaging devices. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the ablation of tissue. Embodiments include an ablation catheter that has an array of ablation elements attached to a deployable carrier assembly. The carrier assembly can be constrained within the lumen of a catheter, and deployed to take on an expanded condition. The carrier assembly includes multiple electrodes that are configured to ablate tissue at low power. Systems include an interface unit with a visual display that provides a visual representation of the geometry of the ablation elements and/or provides selection means for selecting an icon provided on the display.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for evaluating geography-based health care systems and recommending infrastructure changes to the geography-based health care systems. The geography-based health care system is determined based upon data input relating to variables for which there is corresponding data in a record for a predetermined comparison health care system. Recommended infrastructure changes are based on comparison of the data of the geography-based health care system to the data of predetermined comparison health care system.

Abstract: Implantable medical devices include connector enclosure assemblies that utilize conductors electrically coupled to feedthrough pins that extend into a can where electrical circuitry is housed. The conductors may be coupled to the feedthrough pins and to capacitor plates within a filter capacitor by an electrically conductive bonding material and as a single bonding event during manufacturing. The base plate of the connector enclosure assembly may also include a ground pin. Ground capacitor plates may be present at a ground aperture of the filter capacitor where the ground pin passes through so that the ground pin, a ground conductor, and the ground capacitor plate may be coupled. A protective cover may be provided for the connector enclosure assembly to enclose the conductors intended to extend into the can prior to the assembly being joined to the can. Conductors may be attached to a common tab that is subsequently removed.

Abstract: An apparatus for oxygenating blood including a housing and an oxygenator bundle. The housing defines a primary chamber, a blood inlet port open to the primary chamber, and a blood outlet region. The outlet region includes a blood outlet port, an outlet chamber open to the outlet port, and a partition. The partition establishes spaced apart, first and second passageways from the primary chamber to the outlet chamber. The oxygenator bundle is disposed within the primary chamber. A blood flow path is formed from the blood inlet port, through the oxygenator bundle and to the blood outlet port, and includes first and second outlet flow paths within the outlet chamber via the first and second passageways, respectively. The first and second outlet blood flow paths merge at the blood outlet port. A dual port blood outlet is created, increasing mixing of blood immediately upstream of the outlet port.

Abstract: The perivascular leak repair system, and method of using the same, of the present invention provides a sealant reservoir 102 with a repair catheter 104 operably attached; a flow control device 106 disposed between the sealant reservoir 102 and the repair catheter 104, and the flow control device 106 responsive to a flow control signal 108; a heart phase detector 114 generating a diastole phase signal 112; an injection switch 122 generating a injection signal 120; and a flow controller 110 responsive to the diastole phase signal 112 and the injection signal 120, and generating the flow control signal 108. A method of sealing a perivascular leak comprises identifying the perivascular leak 140; inserting a repair catheter to the perivascular leak 142; injecting sealant at the perivascular leak 144; and removing the repair catheter 146. The sealant can be injected when the heart is in diastole to sweep the sealant into the perivascular leak.

Abstract: A device connector assembly includes a plurality of electrical contacts and a sealing member including a corresponding plurality of apertures; each electrical contact extends within a corresponding aperture of the plurality of apertures such that each contact is accessible for coupling with a corresponding connector element of a lead connector. The lead connector elements protrude from a first side of an insulative substrate of the lead connector, and may be coupled to the contacts of the device connector assembly by aligning each connector element with the corresponding aperture of the sealing member, and applying a force to a second side of the insulative substrate, opposite the first side, in order to press each connector element into engagement with the corresponding contact.