Patents Examined by Christopher A. Flory
  • Patent number: 10806937
    Abstract: An implantable medical device that includes electrical circuitry for providing a therapy to a patient. The device also includes a housing forming an inner chamber that is adapted for receiving, at least a portion of the electrical circuitry. The device further includes a thermally conductive material that is configured to disperse heat from a first portion of the implantable medical device that is located in proximity to a heat generating component of the electrical circuitry, to a second portion of the implantable medical device that is not located in proximity to said heat generating component. The thermally conductive material is a discrete component separate from the electrical circuitry and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: CIRTEC MEDICAL CORP.
    Inventor: Jay H. Eiger
  • Patent number: 10780282
    Abstract: A method for determining a set of stimulation parameters for an electrical stimulation lead or steering electrical stimulation includes receiving a target geometrical parameter describing a stimulation field; receiving a first programming state; determining a first stimulation parameter for the first programming state that achieves the target geometrical parameter within at least 10% of the target geometrical parameter; and outputting set of stimulation parameters to be received by an electrical stimulation device for delivery of electrical stimulation to a patient via an electrical stimulation lead, wherein the set of stimulation parameters comprises the first stimulation parameter and represents the first programming state. In other embodiments, the target geometrical parameter is determined from either i) a first set of stimulation parameters or ii) a starting programming state and starting first stimulation parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC NEUROMODULATION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard Mustakos, G. Karl Steinke
  • Patent number: 10772553
    Abstract: The present application describes a urine sensing probe and a system for detecting urine. The urine sensing probe includes a needle having a tubular portion and one or more optical fibers positioned within the needle. The one or more optical fibers have a distal surface that is oriented towards a beveled distal section of the needle and is oriented to one of its lateral sides. The distal surface of the one or more optical fibers ranges from about 90 to a critical angle with respect to a vertical axis of the needle. The present application also describes a system for sensing urine including a urine sensing probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: John C. Victor, Michael J. Morris, Mahmoud R. Shahriari
  • Patent number: 10772563
    Abstract: Arrangements are described for fitting a cochlear implant to a recipient patient. An acoustic stimulus is delivered to an ear of the patient over a range of acoustic frequencies. A baseline acoustic transfer function resulting from the acoustic stimulus is measured using a response sensor configured to sense pressure response characteristics in the middle ear. And a maximum comfortable level (MCL) of stimulation is determined for at least one stimulation contact in the electrode array, based on performing an electrically evoked measurement to an electric stimulation signal and using the response sensor to measure a modified acoustic transfer function. The modified acoustic transfer function is compared to the baseline acoustic transfer function to determine when a stapedius reflex response occurs and identify the MCL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Darshan Shah, Carolyn Garnham, Patrick Hübner
  • Patent number: 10765790
    Abstract: An example pump thrombosis detection system includes a transducer and processing circuitry. The transducer may be configured to generate a signal representative of a mechanical wave from a mechanical circulatory support device. The processing circuitry is communicatively coupled to the transducer. The processing circuitry may be configured to determine an indication of pump thrombosis based on the signal and, based on the indication of pump thrombosis, control the pump thrombosis detection system to at least one of generate an alert or initiate an intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Aleksandre T. Sambelashvili, David A. Anderson, James K. Carney, David M. Steinhaus, Narendra K. Simha
  • Patent number: 10769244
    Abstract: A system is provided including an implantable device configured to be implanted subcutaneously within a patient, a clinician monitoring and control device, an optional patient mobile device, a remote server and/or at least one data analyst device used by a data analyst. The implantable device may communicate with any or all of the monitoring and control device, the mobile device and/or the remote server through the charging device or by establishing a direct wireless connection with each such device. The data analyst device may establish a direct connection with the remote server and also may establish a connection with the monitoring and control device and the mobile device. By analyzing and reviewing the data generated by the implantable device, the data analyst may diagnose a medical condition or indicate a heightened risk of a condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Sequana Medical NV
    Inventors: Thomas Werner Degen, Stefan Tschumper
  • Patent number: 10765476
    Abstract: A medical device is disclosed, including a handle assembly; an elongate body coupled to the handle assembly, the elongate body defining a guide wire lumen therethrough; and a substantially semi-circular electrode array coupled to the elongate body. The device may include a substantially rigid shaft extending distally from the elongate body and defining a lumen therethrough, the shaft including a substantially rigid segment, and a flexible coil coaxial with and extending distally from the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Corvi, Ricardo D. Roman
  • Patent number: 10765867
    Abstract: Methods of stimulating a nerve may include inserting a lead structure into one or more blood vessels. The lead structure may include an insulating member, first electrodes and second electrodes supported on the insulating member, and at least one metal lead. The first electrodes and second electrodes may be positioned in one or more blood vessels. The methods of stimulating a nerve may further include the lead structures being applied to stimulate nerves such as the phrenic, vagus, trigeminal, obturator or other nerves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Lungpacer Medical Inc.
    Inventor: Joaquin Andres Hoffer
  • Patent number: 10758732
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for remotely and intelligently tuning movement disorder of therapy systems. The present invention still further provides methods of quantifying movement disorders for the treatment of patients who exhibit symptoms of such movement disorders including, but not limited to, Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism, Dystonia, Chorea, and Huntington's disease, Ataxia, Tremor and Essential Tremor, Tourette syndrome, stroke, and the like. The present invention yet further relates to methods of remotely and intelligently or automatically tuning a therapy device using objective quantified movement disorder symptom data and/or brain activity mapped data to determine the therapy setting or parameters to be transmitted and provided to the subject via his or her therapy device. The present invention also provides treatment and tuning intelligently, automatically and remotely, allowing for home monitoring of subjects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies Inc.
    Inventor: Dustin A. Heldman
  • Patent number: 10744334
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting cardiac arrhythmias such as an atrial fibrillation (AF) are described herein. The AF detection system includes a sensor circuit to sense a physiological signal, a heartbeat processor to recognize a plurality of beat patterns using cycle length of two more consecutive cardiac cycles. The beat patterns can be indicative of temporal relationship between the consecutive cardiac cycles. The heartbeat processor may generate a repetitiveness indictor based on a statistical measurement of various beat patterns. The AF detection system includes an arrhythmia detector to detect an episode of AF based on the repetitiveness indictor, and to discriminate the AF from other arrhythmias of atrio-ventricular conduction abnormalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Perschbacher, Arjun D. Sharma, Sunipa Saha, Krzysztof Z. Siejko
  • Patent number: 10736575
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a heart rate monitor (HRM) circuit. The HRM circuit includes an analog front end (AFE). The AFE receives a Photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal, and generates a fine PPG signal. A motion cancellation circuit is coupled to the AFE, and receives the fine PPG signal and an accelerometer signal. The motion cancellation circuit subtracts the accelerometer signal from the fine PPG signal to generate a coarse heart rate. A peak detector is coupled to the motion cancellation circuit and the AFE, and generates an instantaneous heart rate. A filter is coupled to the peak detector, and generates an estimated heart rate from the instantaneous heart rate, the estimated heart rate is provided as a feedback to the peak detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sarma Sundareswara Gunturi, Sunil Chomal
  • Patent number: 10729831
    Abstract: A system for facilitating fluid connection between cannulae and a blood pump. The system includes a cannula having a distal end adapted to be in fluid communication with the circulatory system and a proximal end configured to couple to an inlet of the blood pump. Further included is a tunneling device configured to be inserted into a body of a patient to direct the proximal end of the cannula adjacent to the inlet and including a second connecting structure. Further included is a plug which has a first plug part and a second plug part. The first plug part includes a second connecting structure, the first and second connecting structures being selectively engageable. The second plug part is configured to be inserted in the proximal end of the cannula. The first and second plug parts are selectively disengageable to allow in situ disconnection between the cannula and tunneling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: CircuLite, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Farnan, Brad Aurilia, Cesar Gomez
  • Patent number: 10722703
    Abstract: Systems and methods for deploying a paddle neurostimulation lead configured to provide DRG stimulation within a patient. A DRG therapy system includes a delivery tool includes a delivery tube including a first linear segment, a second linear segment, and an arcuate segment coupled between the first and second linear segments, the first and second linear segments having an angle therebetween and the second linear segment defining an elongated opening. The delivery tool further includes a stylet positioned within an interior of the delivery tube, and a handle coupled to the delivery tube and including a stylet actuation mechanism configured to selectively advance and retract the stylet between a deployed position and a retracted position, wherein the stylet extends across the elongated opening in the deployed position to engage an engagement member of the paddle neurostimulation lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey T. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10721826
    Abstract: In some examples, a medical device may include circuitry on a circuit board, a casing, and a fill material at least partially within the casing. The casing may receive the circuit board and surround at least a portion of the circuit board. The casing may define an aperture configured to allow one or more electrical connectors of the circuit board to extend through the aperture for one or more electrical connections with one or more components outside of the casing. An outer surface of the casing may define a first portion of an outer surface of the medical device. The casing may comprise a material having a first melting temperature. The fill material may define a second portion of the outer surface of the medical device and may have a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Songhua Shi, Darrin T. Schauble, Rachel M. Day
  • Patent number: 10716941
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an implantable neurostimulator system comprising an array of microelectrodes, a pair of current drivers, and a dynamic current allocation network (DCAN). Each current driver in the pair of current drivers is configured to deliver a respective portion of an electrical signal to the array of microelectrodes to deliver the desired electrical stimulation through the array of microelectrodes to the subject. The DCAN is coupled to the pair of current drivers and the array of microelectrodes to selectively electrically connect each of the pair of the current drivers to individual microelectrodes in the array of microelectrodes to deliver the electrical signal to selective collections of less than all microelectrodes in the array of microelectrodes to deliver the desired electrical stimulation. The pair of current drivers and the DCAN are arranged in respective or a common housing configured to be implanted into the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Zhi Yang, Anh Tuan Nguyen, Jian Xu
  • Patent number: 10709606
    Abstract: A method of modifying a refractive profile of an eye having an intraocular device implanted therein, wherein the method includes determining a corrected refractive profile for the eye based on an initial refractive profile, identifying one or more locations within the intraocular device based on the corrected refractive profile, and directing a pulsed laser beam at the locations to produce the corrected refractive profile. A system of modifying an intraocular device located within an eye, wherein the system includes a laser assembly and a controller coupled thereto. The laser assembly outputs a pulsed laser beam having a pulse width between 300 picoseconds and 10 femtoseconds. The controller directs the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam into the intraocular device. One or more slip zones are formed within the intraocular device in response thereto, and the slip zones are configured to modify a refractive profile of the intraocular device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: AMO Development, LLC
    Inventors: Leander Zickler, Jim Deacon
  • Patent number: 10695065
    Abstract: A method of creating an anastomosis includes steps of advancing a distal tip of a catheter device through a first blood vessel into a second blood vessel, while simultaneously advancing a proximal base of the device into the first vessel, contacting a wall of the first vessel with a distal blunt surface on the proximal base. A further step is to retract the distal tip so that a proximal blunt base of the distal tip contacts a wall of the second vessel, thereby capturing the two vessel walls between the blunt surfaces of the proximal base and the distal tip. A controlled pressure is applied between the two blunt surfaces to compress and stabilize the captured tissue and approximate the vessel walls. A clip is deployed through the captured tissue to hold the tissue in place during the anastomosis procedure. The anastomosis is created by applying cutting energy to the captured tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Avenu Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad M. Kellerman, Jeffrey E. Hull
  • Patent number: 10695083
    Abstract: A grasping treatment instrument includes a grasping piece, and a supporting member opening and closing relative to the grasping piece. A clamp member is provided between the supporting member and the grasping piece in open and close directions of the supporting member, and the clamp member includes an opposed surface opposed to the grasping piece, and a back surface facing to an opposite side of the opposed surface. The grasping treatment instrument includes a cover member made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the clamp member, and the cover member covers the clamp member from the back surface side in a part on a distal side with respect to a position where the clamp member is pivotally supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seigo Kase
  • Patent number: 10695577
    Abstract: A method for treating a patient's heart is provided. The method includes providing a light source which emits light having an initial power density. The method further includes positioning the light source relative to the patient's heart with intervening tissue of the patient between the light source and the patient's heart. The method further includes directing light onto cardiac tissue of the patient's heart from the light source through the intervening tissue without damaging the intervening tissue. The cardiac tissue is irradiated by an efficacious power density of light for an efficacious period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: PhotoThera, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis De Taboada, Jackson Streeter
  • Patent number: 10675471
    Abstract: An implantable medical device system is configured to detect a tachyarrhythmia from a cardiac electrical signal and start an ATP therapy delay period. The implantable medical device determines whether the cardiac electrical signal received during the ATP therapy delay period satisfies ATP delivery criteria. A therapy delivery module is controlled to cancel the delayed ATP therapy if the ATP delivery criteria are not met and deliver the delayed ATP therapy if the ATP delivery criteria are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xusheng Zhang, Yanina Grinberg, Paul R. Solheim, Troy E. Jackson, Timothy A. Ebeling, Vladimir P. Nikolski