Abstract: Techniques for use with an implantable medical device (IMD) reduce how often a first receiver of the IMD wakes up a second receiver thereof to reduce power consumption. A received message and/or a channel over which messages can be received is/are examined, and a value is adjusted based on results thereof. After being adjusted, the value is compared to a first threshold if the IMD is in a normal state, or compared to a second threshold if the IMD is in a noise state. If in the normal state, there is a determination whether to stay in the normal state or switch to the noise state. If in the noise state, there is a determination whether to stay in the noise state or switch to the normal state. At least the second receiver is temporarily put to sleep, if the IMD is maintained in or switched to the noise state.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and systems for monitoring and responding to changes in a patient's physiologic status. A method includes sensing pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and thoracic impedance of a patient at rest. The method also includes detecting, based on the sensed PAP, whenever the patient's PAP at rest is outside an acceptable range of PAP measures for the patient at rest, and detecting, based on the sensed thoracic impedance, whenever the patient's respiration at rest is outside an acceptable range of respiration measures for the patient at rest. Various different actions are triggered depending upon whether the patient's PAP at rest is outside the acceptable range of PAP measures for the patient at rest, and whether the patient's respiration at rest is within the acceptable range of respiration measures for the patient at rest. Other embodiments relate to similar methods performed at other levels of exertion.

Abstract: A capacitor and a method of processing an anode metal foil are presented. The method includes electrochemically etching the metal foil to form a plurality of tunnels. Next, the etched metal foil is disposed within a widening solution to widen the plurality of tunnels. Exposed surfaces of the etched metal foil are then oxidized. The method includes removing a section of the etched metal foil, where the section of the etched metal foil includes exposed metal along an edge. The section of the etched metal foil is placed into a bath comprising water to form a hydration layer over the exposed metal on the section of the etched metal foil. The method also includes assembling the section of the etched metal foil having the hydration layer as an anode within a capacitor.

Abstract: A method of producing an electrode for use in the manufacture of electrolytic capacitors for implantable cardioverter defibrillators comprises first growing a hydrate layer and/or formed oxide layers of the foil, applying a laser beam to portions of the foil to ablate the aluminum oxide foil surface before etching in order to induce etching in the specific areas, and then, etching the foil. The laser marks the oxide layer in a pulsed spot pattern through the hydrate layer and/or formed oxide layer leaving a dimpled nascent aluminum surface. The oxide layer left behind is a mask and the fresh aluminum areas are the high etching activation sites. After marking the aluminum oxide foil surface, the foil may be electrochemically etched in an electrolyte containing chloride and/or various oxidative species.

Abstract: A delivery system for an intracorporeal device includes a sheath defining one or more lumens shaped to receive a delivery catheter or shaft and a guidewire. The system may include a delivery shaft having a distal coupling feature adapted to releasably couple with a proximal coupling feature of the intracorporeal device. The delivery system may further include a hub through which the delivery shaft and guidewire are passed. The delivery shaft may be coupled to a feature, such as a knob, that enables manipulation of the delivery shaft to decouple the distal fixation feature from the proximal fixation feature of the intracorporeal device in order to deploy the intracorporeal device within a patient.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac stimulation device provides electrical stimulation therapy to stabilize the ventricular rate of a heart during episodes of atrial fibrillation. The stimulation therapy may be a plurality of sub-threshold stimulation pulses delivered to capture AV node vagal innervations following the detection of atrial fibrillation.

Abstract: A monolithic controlled release device (MCRD) for use with an implantable medical device includes a distal face, a proximal face opposite the distal face, and an outer circumferential surface extending between the distal face and the proximal face. A spline-shaped inner lumen extends between the distal face and the proximal face and radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The MCRD is formed from a mixture including an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Abstract: The methods and systems herein generally relate to generating stimulation waveforms for a therapy of a neurostimulation (NS) device in a patient. The methods and systems receive a target stimulation waveform from a user interface, calculate a timing resolution of the target stimulation waveform, determine target amplitude resolutions of the target stimulation waveform, identify whether a mathematical relationship exists between the target amplitude resolutions, and automatically designate one of a first, second, or third generator circuits based on at least one of the timing resolution, the amplitude, or the mathematical relationship. The systems and methods further transmit the target stimulation waveform and an activation instruction for the designated one of the first, second, or third generator circuits along the communication link to a NS device. The NS device includes the first, second, and third generator circuits configured to generate different first, second, and third types of stimulation waveforms.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electrode feedthru assembly for an electronic device and method of manufacturing. The feedthru assembly includes a ferrule, an electrode assembly, and an elastomer. The ferrule includes a bore through which the electrode assembly is positioned. The electrode assembly includes an electrode wire attached to a crimp pin. The crimp pin includes a crimp terminal portion and a pin terminal portion, the crimp terminal portion crimped to the a portion of the electrode wire to form a connected portion of the electrode assembly. The elastomer is disposed in the bore of the ferrule between the ferrule and the electrode assembly. The elastomer is configured to electrically isolate the ferrule from the electrode assembly and to encapsulate at least the connected portion of the electrode assembly.

Abstract: A medical tool includes a rotation mechanism that further includes a warning feature. The warning feature provides an indication when the rotation mechanism has achieved a number of rotations.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system are provided for detecting premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in cardiac activity. The method and system obtain cardiac activity (CA) signals for a series of beats, and, for at least a portion of the series of beats, calculate QRS scores for corresponding QRS complex segments from the CA signals. The method and system calculate a variability metric for QRS scores across the series of beats, calculate a QRS complex template using QRS segments from the series of beats, calculate correlation coefficients between the QRS complex template and the QRS complex segments, compare the variability metric to a variability threshold and the correlation coefficients to a correlation threshold, and designate the CA signals to include a predetermined level of PVC burden based on the comparing.

Abstract: An implantable medical device (IMD) that includes a transceiver configured to broadcast an advertising data packet that includes a unique identifier, and to receive a scan request data packet from an external device. A memory stores program instructions, and stores an approved device list, and one or more processors are configured to execute the program instructions to identify a device identifier (ID) from the scan request data packet received, apply an advertising filter to determine if the scan request data packet is from an authorized external device based on the device ID and the approved device list, based on the determination by the advertising filter, deny transmission of a scan response data packet from the transceiver when the advertising filter determines that the scan request data packet is from an unauthorized external device, and establish a communication session with an authorized external device independent of the scan request data packet.

Abstract: Described herein are methods, devices, and systems that estimate a total amount of time it takes to discharge a battery of an IMD from initial to subsequent capacity levels, which total amount of time is indicative of a longevity of the IMD. In certain embodiments, a range of capacity levels for the battery is separated into N separate intervals. For each of the N intervals, an estimate of an amount of time it takes for the battery to discharge from a beginning to an end of the interval is determined, to thereby determine N amounts of time that are summed to estimate the total amount of time that it takes to discharge the battery from the initial to subsequent capacity levels. In other embodiments, an iterative equation is used to estimate the total amount of time takes it takes to discharge the battery from the initial to subsequent capacity levels.

Abstract: Described herein is an implantable medical device (IMD) that wirelessly communicates another IMD, and methods for use therewith. Such a method can include receiving one or more implant-to-implant (i2i) communication signals from the other IMD using a communication receiver of the IMD, measuring a strength of at least one of the one or more received i2i communication signals or a surrogate thereof, and updating a strength metric based on the measured strength or surrogate thereof. The method further includes determining, based on the updated strength metric, whether to increase, decrease, or maintain the sensitivity of the communication receiver of the IMD, and responding accordingly such that the sensitivity is sometimes increased, sometimes decreased, and sometimes maintained. The method can also include selectively causing a transmitter of the IMD to transmit an i2i communication signal to the other IMD requesting that the other IMD adjust its transmission strength.

Abstract: A device and method for manufacturing an implantable cardiac monitor device are provided. The method joins a feed-through assembly to a device housing having electronic components therein. The feed-through assembly includes conductors having distal ends connected to the electronic components and has proximal ends projecting from the feed-through assembly. The method assembles a header having a sensing electrode and an antenna embedded within a non-conductive header body. The electrode and antenna includes corresponding interconnection plates. The header body includes a housing mounting surface that includes at least one passage aligned with an interconnect cavity that includes the interconnection plates. The header body further includes a window exposing the interconnect cavity and interconnect regions.

Abstract: A method of producing an oxide layer on a foil for use in a capacitor includes immersing the foil in a first solution; maintaining a target current between the immersed anodic foil and the first solution until a first target voltage is reached to form an oxide layer overlying the foil; maintaining the target current between the immersed foil and the first solution until a second target voltage is reached to reform the oxide layer; removing the foil from the first solution and heating the foil; immersing the heat treated foil in a second solution; maintaining the target current between the immersed foil and the second solution until a third target voltage is reached; and discharging the immersed foil after each of the first, second, and third target voltages are reached.

Abstract: A battery includes a case having a feedthrough port, a feedthrough assembly disposed in the feedthrough port, and a cell stack disposed within the case. The feedthrough port includes an inner conductor and an insulator core separating the inner conductor from the case. The cell stack includes an anode, a cathode, and a separator insulating the anode from the cathode, wherein the anode and cathode are offset from one another. An insulating boot surrounding the cell stack insulates the cell stack from the case. The insulating boot has an opening configured to receive therein the feedthrough assembly, which may include overmolded insulation. The interior surfaces and interior walls of the battery case may be thermal spray-coated with a dielectric material to prevent lithium dendrite formation between cathode and anode surfaces.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting arrhythmias in cardiac activity. The methods and systems declare a current beat, from the CA signals, to be a candidate beat or an ineligible beat based on whether the current beat satisfies the rate based selection criteria. The determining and declaring operations are repeated for multiple beats to form an ensemble of candidate beats. The method and system calculate a P-wave segment ensemble from the ensemble of candidate beats, perform a morphology-based comparison between the P-wave segment ensemble and at least one of a monophasic or biphasic template, declare a valid P-wave to be present within the CA signals based on the morphology-based comparison, and utilize the valid P-wave in an arrhythmia detection process to determine at least one of an arrhythmia entry, arrhythmia presence or arrhythmia exit.

Abstract: Catheter-based delivery systems for delivery and retrieval of a leadless pacemaker include features to facilitate improved manipulation of the catheter and improved capture and docking functionality of leadless pacemakers. Such functionality includes mechanisms directed to deflecting and locking a deflectable catheter, maintaining tension on a retrieval feature, protection from anti-rotation, and improved docking cap and drive gear assemblies.

Abstract: Systems and methods of performing cardio resynchronization therapy (CRT) on a patient heart include the use of a stimulation system having at least one processor, at least one memory, a pulse generator, a stimulating electrode disposed in proximity to a His bundle of the patient heart, and a sensing electrode adapted to sense electrical activity of the left ventricle (LV) of the patient heart. CRT is provided by applying, using the pulse generator and through the stimulating electrode, a His bundle pacing (HBP) impulse having a first impulse energy. The sensing electrode is then used to measure an LV activation time in response to the HBP impulse. At least one setting of the pulse generator is modified based on the LV activation time such that a subsequent HBP impulse may be provided by the pulse generator via the stimulating electrode using a modified impulse energy.