Abstract: An external defibrillator can include a bump sensor for generating motion information and a bump detector for determining whether the external defibrillator has been subjected to a local bump event. The external defibrillator can transmit wirelessly a data signal encoding resuscitation event data to a second external defibrillator over a wireless communication link between the two devices.

Abstract: An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) includes a communication interface operable to receive a communication signal from an external programmer. With the ICD not being in the presence of an MRI field generated by an MRI scanner, a communication signal is sent precharging a high energy storage capacitor before the patient undergoes the MRI scan. The signal also switches the ICD into an MRI mode which turns off the ICD's sensing functions detecting a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia. An operator monitors the patient's vital signs with sensors connected to the patient. If the patient does require the defibrillation shock, the operator sends a second communication signal delivering the defibrillation shock from the precharged high energy storage capacitor of the ICD. The patient can then be removed from the MRI scanner and the RF and gradient fields of the MRI scanner turned off.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling power delivery from an external power transfer system (EPTS) to at least one implantable neurostimulator system (INS). The method comprises driving a first transmit coil within the EPTS using a transmit coil driver circuit, receiving, using a receive coil, power transferred from the first transmit coil, coupling the received power to a regulator circuit, monitoring the regulator circuit, communicating a message to the EPTS using a back telemetry circuit, receiving the message, and adjusting the transmit coil driver circuit.

Abstract: An implantable head-mounted, radiofrequency (RF) coupled, unibody peripheral neurostimulation system is provided for implantation in the head for the purpose of treating chronic head pain, including migraine. The system may include an implantable pulse generator (IPG) from which multiple stimulating leads may extend sufficient to allow for adequate stimulation over multiple regions of the head, preferably including the frontal, parietal and occipital regions. A lead may include an extended body, along which may be disposed a plurality of surface metal electrodes (SME), which may be subdivided into a plurality of electrode arrays. A plurality of internal metal wires may run a portion of its length and connect the IPG's internal circuit to the SME. The IPG may include an RF receiver coil and an application specific integrated circuit. The IPG may be capable of functional connection to an external RF unit for purposes that may include power, diagnostics, and programming.

Abstract: A system and method of generating electrode stimulation signals for electrode contacts in an electrode array associated with a hearing implant is presented. An input audio signal is processed to generate a plurality of band pass channel signals each representing an associated band of audio frequencies. A stationary noise reduction is applied so as to provide a stationary noise reduced channel envelope from each channel signal. A transient in one or more of the channel envelopes is detected. The channel envelopes are modified as a function of whether the transient is transient noise or transient speech, so as to form transient modified envelope. The transient modified envelopes are used to generate electrode stimulation signals to the electrode contacts.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided, including a bladder stimulator that includes an elongate element adapted to pass through a urethra or adapted to pass through another opening in the bladder, an expandable body coupled to said elongate element, and an array of one or more stimulator contacts coupled to the expandable body, the array including at least one contact adapted to contact a portion of a bladder of a subject when the expandable body is inserted in the bladder and expanded. A controller stimulates the portion of the bladder by driving a pulse into the bladder via the contact, the pulse having a frequency of 5 Hz-1 kHz. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: A bioelectronic medical method and system for rapidly destroying living cancer cells and the tumors they create including metastatic off-spring of such tumor(s) regardless of their location within a human or animal body. Calcium ions can be inserted into a nucleus of a cancer cell(s). The nucleus of the cancer cell(s) is then fragmented among many cancer cells (e.g., in a tumor) simultaneously with the transmission of a destructive analog electrically encoded signals to provide a medical cancer treatment thereof. A first target of medical cancer treatment is aimed principally into the nucleus and mitochondrion bodies of a malignancy associated with the cancer cell(s).

Abstract: A method and system for the diagnosis of anomalies in a lead attached to an implantable medical device, such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), including an insulation breach resulting in a short circuit of the high-voltage shock pulse. Determination that the defibrillation pathway is shorted may be made by initial analysis of a Reference EGM and Diagnostic EGM and subsequent analysis of Differential Diagnostic EGMs. Upon determining if a specific defibrillation pathway is shorted, the nonessential defibrillation electrode of that pathway may be excluded from the defibrillation circuit, delivering defibrillation current only between functioning defibrillation electrodes. Alternatively, the ICD system can confirm the presence of a lead anomaly with one or more alternative diagnostic approaches. Patient and remote-monitoring alerts may be initiated.

Abstract: A catheter may include electrodes for transvascular nerve stimulation. The electrodes may be positioned within lumens of the catheter and aligned with apertures in the outer wall of the catheter. The electrodes may produce focused electrical fields for stimulation of one or more nerves. In one embodiment, the catheter may include a set of proximal electrodes and a set of distal electrodes, and the proximal electrodes may stimulate a patient's left phrenic nerve and the distal electrodes may stimulate a patient's right phrenic nerve.

Abstract: A method for graphical representation of a train of ECG complexes having an R wave and a T-P interval and having variable isoelectric baselines. The method involves aligning the complexes in terms of signal amplitude by obtaining a baseline, thereby to provide a graphical representation of said train of ECG complexes; and aligning said complexes temporally using corresponding predetermined points.

Abstract: A device for diagnosing a wound in a patient, the device comprising: at least two electrodes configured to be placed on the skin of the patient, wherein the at least two electrodes are placed in the vicinity of the wound; and at least one signal processor operatively coupled with the at least two electrodes, wherein the at least one signal processor is configured to: i) detect and record an endogenous alternating electrical signal in an area of the wound, ii) transform said endogenous alternating electrical signal into a voltage versus frequency spectrum using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm, and iii) diagnose the wound as a chronic wound if the voltage for a frequency between 65-200 Hz of the frequency spectrum is below 10?7.3±10% volts and as an acute wound if the voltage for a frequency between 65-200 Hz of the frequency spectrum is above 10?7.3±10% volts.

Abstract: A leg movement acquisition unit 1 continuously acquires leg movements of a sleeping subject. An apnea detection unit 2 detects whether or not the subject is in a state of apnea. A movement analysis unit 3 determines whether or not the detected leg movement satisfies previously determined conditions. These previously determined conditions include at least the following conditions (a) to (d): (a) The duration of leg movement is within a previously determined range; (b) intensity of leg movement is a previously determined value or greater; (c) leg movements satisfying conditions (a) and (b) continue for a previously determined number of times within a previously determined duration; and (d) the leg movement is not movement from immediately before to immediately after an apnea state that has been detected by the apnea detection unit. A coefficient calculation unit 4 calculates a coefficient based on the number of times of leg movement that satisfied the previously determined conditions.

Abstract: The present invention involves systems and methods for determining nerve proximity, nerve direction, and pathology relative to a surgical instrument based on an identified relationship between neuromuscular responses and the stimulation signal that caused the neuromuscular responses.

Abstract: An instrument includes a handle portion, an actuator, a shaft, a rigid member, and an angular control mechanism. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end with an electrode region, and a flexible region in between. Moving the actuator causes portions of the flexible region distal of a pivot region to bend such that an angular orientation and a radial offset of the electrode region reach an angular orientation and a radial offset, respectively, when the actuator reaches the end position. A distal portion of the rigid member defines the pivot region. Moving the rigid member along the shaft causes the pivot region to translate. The radial offset varies depending on the position of the pivot region.

Abstract: A bipolar forceps may include a first forceps arm having a first forceps arm aperture, a first forceps jaw, and a first forceps arm conductor tip; a second forceps arm having a first forceps arm aperture, a second forceps jaw, and a second forceps arm conductor tip; and an input conductor isolation mechanism having a first forceps arm housing and a second forceps arm housing. The first forceps arm may be disposed in the first forceps arm housing and the second forceps arm may be disposed in the second forceps arm housing. An application of a force to a lateral portion of the forceps arms may be configured to close the forceps jaws. A reduction of a force applied to a lateral portion of the forceps arms may be configured to open the forceps jaws.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) comprises an acoustic sensor to be placed on the chest of a patient to generate acoustic signals SA: a control unit adapted to receive said acoustic signals SA, the control unit comprising: an identification unit to identify diastolic or systolic periods in a predetermined time period and to generate a period signal SP; a filtering unit adapted to apply a filter to said identified periods to generate a low frequency band signal SLFB and a high frequency band signal SHFB of said identified periods; and a calculation unit, to calculate a low frequency power measure SLFP and a high frequency feature measure SHFF. A risk-determining unit provides a risk-of-CAD signal based on the low frequency power measure and the high frequency feature measure. The invention also relates to a stethoscope and a method for detection of low frequency power.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac therapy device and methods of using a device including an implantable stimulation pulse generator, one or more implantable leads defining sensing and stimulation circuits adapted to sense and deliver therapy in at least one right side heart chamber, and an implantable controller in communication with the stimulation pulse generator and the one or more patient leads so as to receive sensed signals indicative of a patient's physiologic activity and deliver indicated therapy. The controller is adapted to monitor at least one indicator of cardiac dysynchrony and to compare the at least one indicator to a determined dysynchrony threshold. The threshold is determined for indications that the patient be further evaluated for cardiac resynchronization therapy. The controller is further adapted to set an alert when the at least one indicator exceeds the threshold to indicate to a clinician that evaluation for bi-ventricular pacing might be indicated.

Abstract: A multi-channel neurostimulation system comprises a plurality of electrical terminals configured for being respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, stimulation output circuitry including electrical source circuitry of the same polarity configured for generating a plurality of pulsed electrical waveforms in a plurality of timing channels, and control circuitry configured for instructing the stimulation output circuitry to serially couple the electrical source circuitry to different sets of the electrodes when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms do not temporally overlap each other, and for instructing the stimulation output circuitry to couple the electrical source circuitry to a union of the different electrode sets when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms temporally overlap each other.

Abstract: A functional electrical stimulation (FES) device and system. In one embodiment, sequential bipolar pulse stimulation may be provided to an area of a living body via one or more electrode leads applied to the area via a FES device comprising a current pulse generating circuit comprising output nodes for operative coupling to the one or more electrode leads, and configured for operative coupling to a voltage supply. The current pulse generating circuit generally comprises positive and negative stimulation paths drawing from the voltage supply to respectively apply positive and negative currents through the area via the one or more electrode leads. In one example, the stimulation paths comprise respective capacitive elements, a capacitance ratio of which dictating, at least in part, an amplitude ratio of the positive and negative currents, wherein periodic alternative activation of the stimulation paths provides the sequential bipolar pulse stimulation.

Abstract: A method of modifying tissue behavior, comprising: determining a desired modification of tissue behavior for at least one of treatment of a disease, short or long term modification of tissue behavior, assessing tissue state and assessing tissue response to stimulation; selecting an electric field having an expected effect of modifying protein activity of at least one protein as an immediate response of a tissue to the field, said expected effect correlated with said desired modification; and applying said field to said tissue.