Abstract: A system is provided for controlling a left univentricular (LUV) pacing therapy using an implantable medical device (IMD). The system also includes one or more processors configured to determine an atrial-ventricular (AV) conduction interval (ARRV) between the A site and a first RV sensed event at the RV site, determine an inter-ventricular (VV) conduction interval (RLV-RRV) between a paced event at the LV site and a second RV sensed event at the RV site, and set a ventricular refractory period (VRP) based on at least one of the AV conduction interval or the VV conduction interval and a predetermined offset. The one or more processors are also configured to blank signals over the RV sensing channel during the VRP.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a filtered feedthrough assembly for use with an implantable medical device. The method may include gold brazing an insulator to a flange at first braze joint, and gold brazing a plurality of feedthrough wire to the insulator at second braze joints. The method may further include applying a first non-conductive epoxy to the first braze joint, and applying a second non-conductive epoxy to the second braze joint. The method may further include grit blasting a face of the flange, applying a conductive epoxy to the face of the flange, and attaching an EMI filter to the conductive epoxy such that it is grounded to the flange via the conductive epoxy and not via the first braze joint or the second braze joints.

Abstract: A leadless cardiac pacemaker is provided which can include any number of features. In one embodiment, the pacemaker can include a tip electrode, pacing electronics disposed on a p-type substrate in an electronics housing, the pacing electronics being electrically connected to the tip electrode, an energy source disposed in a cell housing, the energy source comprising a negative terminal electrically connected to the cell housing and a positive terminal electrically connected to the pacing electronics, wherein the pacing electronics are configured to drive the tip electrode negative with respect to the cell housing during a stimulation pulse. The pacemaker advantageously allows p-type pacing electronics to drive a tip electrode negative with respect to the can electrode when the can electrode is directly connected to a negative terminal of the cell. Methods of use are also provided.

Abstract: Implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, monitor a patient's arterial blood pressure without requiring an intravascular pressure transducer. A plurality of calibrations factors are stored, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of different postures, activity levels, or HR ranges, or different combinations thereof. A signal indicative of activity of the patient's heart, and a signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume of the patient are obtained, and a pulse arrival time (PAT) value is determined. A current posture, activity level, and/or HR of the patient is/are determined and used to identify stored calibration factor(s) that correspond thereto. Values indicative of the patient's arterial blood pressure is/are determined based on the PAT value and the stored calibration factor(s) identified based on the patient's current posture, activity level, and/or HR. Such value(s) and/or changes thereto can be used to trigger and/or adjust therapy.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for use with an implantable system including at least an atrial leadless pacemaker (aLP). Also described herein are specific implementations of an aLP, as well as implantable systems including an aLP. In certain embodiments, the aLP senses a signal from which cardiac activity associated with a ventricular chamber can be detected by the aLP itself based on feature(s) of the sensed signal. The aLP monitors the sensed signal for an intrinsic or paced ventricular activation within a ventricular event monitor window. In response to the aLP detecting an intrinsic or paced ventricular activation itself from the sensed signal within the ventricular event monitor window, the aLP resets an atrial escape interval timer that is used by the aLP to time delivery of an atrial pacing pulse if an intrinsic atrial activation is not detected within an atrial escape interval.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for determining a stimulation threshold for closed loop spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The system and methods provide a lead coupled to an implantable pulse generator (IPG). The system and methods deliver SCS pulses from the IPG to the lead electrodes in accordance with an SCS therapy and determine an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) amplitude based on an ECAP waveform resulting from the SCS therapy. The system and methods increase the SCS therapy by increasing at least one of an amplitude, a duration, and number of the SCS pulses associated with the SCS therapy. The system and methods also include iteratively repeat the delivering, determining and increasing operations until the ECAP amplitude exhibits a downward trend divergence. The system and methods define a stimulation threshold based on the ECAP amplitude at the trend divergence.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrolytic capacitor includes impregnating an electrolytic capacitor with a first electrolyte to form a first impregnated capacitor, aging the first impregnated capacitor using a first aging process to form a first aged capacitor, impregnating the first aged capacitor with a second electrolyte to form a second impregnated capacitor, the second electrolyte being different from the first electrolyte, aging the second impregnated capacitor using a final aging process to form a final aged capacitor, and impregnating the final aged capacitor with a third electrolyte.

Abstract: Described herein are implantable medical systems, and methods for use therewith, that provide a temperature based rate response for a patient within which the implantable medical system is implanted. Such a method can include sensing a blood temperature signal indicative of a core body temperature of the patient, and producing a relative temperature signal based on the blood temperature signal. The method can further include producing a moving baseline temperature signal based on the relative temperature signal, producing a proportional response signal based on the relative temperature signal and the moving baseline temperature signal, and producing a sensor indicated rate response signal based on the proportional response signal and a base rate. The sensor indicated rate response signal can also be based on a dip response signal and/or a slope response signal. Additionally, a pacing rate is controlled based on the sensor indicated rate response signal.

Abstract: External devices, methods for use therewith, and systems including an external device and an implantable medical device (IMD) are described. A method includes receiving at the external device, using each of first, second, and third subsets of at least three external electrodes, conductive communication pulses transmitted by the IMD, and determining, for each subset of the external electrodes, a respective metric indicative of power and/or quality of the conductive communication pulses received from the IMD using the subset of external electrodes. The method further includes identifying, based on results of the determining, a preferred one of the first, second, and third subsets of the at least three external electrodes, and using the preferred one of the first, second, and third subsets of the at least three external electrodes to receive further conductive communication pulses transmitted by the IMD.

Abstract: Fabricating the electrode blank includes baking a blank precursor. The blank precursor contains the components of an electrode active medium including an active material. Fabricating the electrode blank also includes performing one or more post-bake calender operations on the blank precursor after baking the blank precursor. Each post-bake calender operation includes calendering the blank precursor.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein improve visibility of P-waves of an EGM or ECG signal segment to be displayed on a display screen. There is a determination of whether relatively small features, including the P-waves, of the ECG or EGM signal segment would be difficult to visualize if an original signal segment range of the ECG or EGM signal segment were caused to be displayed on the display screen. In response to determining that the relatively small features of the ECG or EGM signal segment would be difficult to visualize, a portion of the EGM or ECG signal segment is displayed on the display screen in a manner that magnifies the P-waves of the EGM or ECG signal segment compared to if an entirety of the EGM or ECG signal segment within the original signal segment range were instead caused to be displayed on the display screen.

Abstract: Described herein are implantable medical devices (IMDs), and methods for use therewith. In certain embodiments, a controller of an IMD controls when a pacing capacitor of the IMD is charged using a first voltage, when the pacing capacitor is being charged using a second voltage, and when the pacing capacitor is discharged to deliver a pacing pulse between anode and cathode electrodes of, or electrically coupled to, the IMD. By selectively charging the pacing capacitor for a portion of a charge duration using the second voltage, that is greater in magnitude than the first voltage that is used for delivering the pacing pulse, a magnitude of a polarization artifact superimposed on an evoked response within a cardiac electrical signal, sensed using a sensing circuit of the IMD, is reduced compared to if the pacing capacitor were instead charged using the first voltage for the entire charge duration.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein improve visibility of features (e.g., P-waves) of a physiologic signal segment (e.g., an EGM or ECG signal segment) to be displayed within a display band having a specified height between an upper and a lower boundary of the display band. The physiologic signal segment is divided into sub-segments, for each of which a sub-segment minimum peak amplitude and maximum peak amplitude are determined. Based thereon, a new minimum peak amplitude and a new maximum peak amplitude are determined and used to determine a new display range. A portion of the physiologic signal segment that is within the new display range is caused to be display, within the display band having the specified height, such that the upper boundary of the display band corresponds to the new maximum peak amplitude, and the lower boundary of the display band corresponds to the new minimum peak amplitude.

Abstract: A system for verifying a candidate pathologic episode of a patient is provided. The system includes an accelerometer configured to be implanted in the patient, the accelerometer configured to obtain accelerometer data along at least one axis. The system also includes a memory configured to store program instructions and one or more processors. When executing the program instructions, the one or more processors are configured to obtain a biological signal and identify a candidate pathologic episode based on the biological signal, analyze the accelerometer data to identify a physical action experienced by the patient, and verify the candidate pathologic episode based on the physical action.

Abstract: A system for validating safety of a medical device in a presence of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) field is provided. The system includes a first electric field generating device configured to form first electric field and configured to receive a medical device at least partially within the first electric field, and a second electric field generating device configured to form a second electric field in proximity to the first electric field and configured to receive the medical device at least partially within the second electric field.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining heart arrhythmias based on cardiac activity that includes under control of one or more processors of an implantable medical device (IMD) configured with specific executable instructions to obtain far field cardiac activity (CA) signals at electrodes located remote from the heart, and obtain acceleration signatures, at an accelerometer of the IMD, indicative of heart sounds generated during the cardiac beats. The IMD is also configured with specific executable instructions to declare a candidate arrhythmia based on a characteristic of at least one R-R interval from the cardiac beats, and evaluate the acceleration signatures for ventricular events (VEs) to re-assess a presence or absence of at least one R-wave from the cardiac beats and based thereon confirming or denying the candidate arrhythmia.

Abstract: Methods, devices and program products are provided for under control of one or more processors within an implantable medical device (IMD). Sensing near field (NF) and far field (FF) signals are between first and second combinations of electrodes coupled to the IMD. The method applies an arrhythmia detection algorithm to the NF signals for identifying events within the NF signal and designates events marker based thereon and monitors the event markers to detect a candidate arrhythmia condition in the NF signals. The candidate under-detected condition comprises at least one of an under-detected arrhythmia or over-sensing. In response to detection of the candidate arrhythmia condition, the method analyzes the FF signals for a presence of an under-detected arrhythmia indicator. The method delivers an arrhythmia therapy based on the presence of the under-detected arrhythmia indicator in the FF signals and the candidate under-detected arrhythmia condition in the NF signals.

Abstract: A method of producing a capacitor electrode includes forming an oxide layer on a foil. The method also includes inducing defects in the oxide layer followed by reforming the oxide layer. The oxide layer is reformed so as to generate a reformed oxide layer that is an aluminum oxide with a boehmite phase and a pseudo-boehmite phase. The amount of the boehmite phase in the reformed oxide layer is greater than the amount of the pseudo-boehmite phase in the reformed oxide layer.

Abstract: An implantable system includes an implantable medical device (IMD) and a non-transvenous lead that is configured to be implanted outside of a heart. The IMD includes an output configured to be connected at least to the lead, a current generator (CG) circuit configured to generate pacing pulses, a switching circuit coupled between the CG circuit and the output, one or more capacitors coupled in parallel with the CG circuit and the switching circuit, and a control circuit coupled to the CG circuit. The control circuit is configured to manage the CG circuit to generate the pacing pulses with a constant current at the output.

Abstract: Implantable medical devices (IMDs), systems, and methods for use therewith are disclosed. One such method is for use by a leadless pacemaker (LP) configured to perform conductive communication with another implantable medical device (IMD). The method includes the LP storing information that specifies when, within a cardiac cycle, the LP and the other IMD implanted in a patient are likely oriented relative to one another such that conductive communication therebetween should be successful. The method also includes the LP sensing a signal indicative of cardiac activity of the patient over a plurality of cardiac cycles, and outputting one or more conductive communication pulses, during a portion of at least one of the cardiac cycles, wherein the portion of the at least one of the cardiac cycles is identified based on the signal that is sensed and the information that is stored.