Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support system for a heart having a cooling element and a method for using the system to treat the effects of a cardiac episode. The support system has a pump comprising a rotor, the rotor having at least one blade. The system also has a catheter having an inner surface and an outer surface, the catheter extending proximally of relative to the pump housing. The outer surface of the catheter is configured to contact blood when disposed within patient vasculature. The outer surface of the catheter comprises a heat transfer surface configured for cooling blood that comes in contact with the outer surface. The support system is operated to provide a temperature selected to cool the circulating blood in contact with the outer surface of the catheter to a temperature selected to reduce or prevent an effect of a cardiac episode.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor device of an article of furniture. The sensor device may comprise a flexible sensor. The flexible sensor may comprise a flexible circuit board (e.g., a flexible printed circuit board) having a piezoelectric material. The sensor device can detect one or more biological signals of a user of the article of furniture comprising the sensor device. The flexible sensor may be sandwiched between two conductive layers. An electrical insulator may be disposed between the flexible sensor and at least one of the two conductive layers.

Abstract: Described herein is an implantable device configured to detect impedance characteristic of a tissue.

Abstract: A control circuit for a sensorless implantable blood pump configured to determine mitral valve regurgitation includes processing circuitry configured to generate an estimated blood flow waveform from the sensorless implanted blood pump and generate an alert if between an end period of diastole and a beginning period of systole a measured amplitude of the estimated blood flow waveform does not include an inflection point.

Abstract: In some examples, a computing apparatus may determine information corresponding to a data structure and indicating delays associated with an atrium lead, a left ventricle (LV) lead, and a right ventricle (RV) lead based on one or more input variables. The computing apparatus may determine a plurality of individualized characteristics based on the information corresponding to the data structure. The computing apparatus may receive, from the plurality of measurement electrodes, a plurality of second sets of electrical measurements indicating second electrical signals applied to the patient's heart based on the plurality of individualized characteristics. The computing apparatus may determine cardiac resynchronization index (CRI) values using a first set of electrical measurements (e.g., native measurements) and the plurality of second sets of electrical measurements.

Abstract: A blood pump assembly can include various components such as a housing and a sensor configured to detect one or more characteristics of the blood. In some embodiments, the sensor can be coupled to the housing and can include a sensor membrane configured to deflect in response to a change in a blood parameter (e.g., pressure). The blood pump assembly can include a shield that covers at least a portion of the sensor membrane so as to protect the sensor from damage when the blood pump assembly is inserted through an introducer and navigated through the patient's vasculature and/or when the blood pump assembly is inserted into the heart in a surgical procedure. One or more protective layers can be deposited over the sensor membrane to prevent the sensor membrane from being dissolved through interactions with the patient's blood.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump has an intake filter that reduces risk of heart tissue being sucked into an intake port of the pump. The filter defines a plurality of apertures, through which blood flows through the filter. The apertures are sized to prevent ingestion, by the input port, of the heart tissue. The filter includes a plurality of generally helical first struts wound about a longitudinal axis of the filter, and a plurality of second struts. The first and second struts collectively define the plurality of apertures therebetween. The struts may be woven filaments, or the apertures may be defined in a thin film (foil) tube, where remaining material between the apertures form the struts.

Abstract: A system for assisting a circulation of blood inside a body of a patient includes a pump including: a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion; an inducer positioned in the upstream portion of the housing, the inducer including one or more helically-wound inducer blades to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the pump; an impeller positioned downstream of the inducer in the housing, the impeller including one or more impeller blades to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the pump; and a diffuser positioned in the downstream portion of the housing, to direct blood through at least one aperture in a circumference of the housing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an implanted, ventricular assist system (2), comprising the following steps: a) determine a first impedance parameter at a first point in time by means of the assist system (2), b) determine a second impedance parameter at a second point in time by means of the assist system (2), c) at least determine a change of the impedance parameter using the first impedance parameter and the second impedance parameter, or compare at least the first or second impedance parameter to a threshold value.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for improving connections between a heart pump, such a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and the heart and/or tubing such as a graft tube. An apical connector including a cylindrical housing and a ring support connected to the housing is described. The apical connector may include a sewing ring to be connected to the patient's heart and a spring positioned within the cylindrical housing to engage a portion of the pump and secure the apical connector to the pump. Alternatively, an apical connector may include an upper and lower housing with locks positioned in channels between the housings and may include a handle and a ring to cause the locks to engage a portion of the pump. A quick connect assembly is also described for efficiently connecting a graft tube to an outlet of a heart pump using a flange with through-holes and protrusions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling blood pressure by controlling atrial pressure and atrial stretch are disclosed. In some embodiments, a stimulation circuit may be configured to deliver a stimulation pulse to at least one cardiac chamber of a heart of a patient, and at least one controller may be configured to execute delivery of one or more stimulation patterns of stimulation pulses to the at least one cardiac chamber, wherein at least one of the stimulation pulses stimulates the heart such that an atrial pressure resulting from atrial contraction of an atrium overlaps in time a passive pressure build-up of the atrium, such that an atrial pressure of the atrium resulting from the stimulation is a combination of the atrial pressure resulting from atrial contraction and the passive pressure build-up and is higher than an atrial pressure of the atrium would be without the stimulation, and such that the blood pressure of the patient is reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treatment of hypertension and heart failure by increasing secretion of endogenous atrial hormones by pacing of the heart. Pacing is done during the ventricular refractory period resulting in premature atrial contraction that does not result in ventricular contraction. Pacing results in the atrial wall stress, peripheral vasodilation, ANP secretion. Concomitant reduction of the heart rate is monitored and controlled as needed with backup pacing.

Abstract: Described herein is an implantable device having a sensor configured to detect an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, strain, or a pressure; and an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension, configured to receive current modulated based on the analyte amount, the pH, the temperature, or the pressure detected by the sensor, and emit an ultrasonic backscatter based on the received current. The implantable device can be implanted in a subject, such as an animal or a plant. Also described herein are systems including one or more implantable devices and an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the one or more implantable devices or receive ultrasonic backscatter from the one or more implantable devices. Also described are methods of detecting an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, a strain, or a pressure.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The blood pump further comprises a drive unit for rotating the impeller, the drive unit comprising a plurality of posts arranged about the axis of rotation, wherein each of the posts includes a shaft portion and a head portion. Coil windings around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The drive unit further comprises a back plate which engages ends of the shaft portions of the posts opposite the head portions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10; 10a) for inductive energy transfer into a human body (1), having a transmitter unit (11) with a housing (12), in which at least one transmitter coil (14) is arranged, wherein the housing (12) comprises a contact surface (23), which is configured in order to be brought into surface contact with the body (1), and a receiver unit (20) that can be positioned in the body (1) with a receiver coil (21), wherein a heat-insulating element (26) and a heat-conducting element (30; 30a) are arranged between the transmitter coil (14) and the body.

Abstract: The therapeutic device of the invention consists of a support to be placed on the skin of a patient and made of specific nanocrystals, which when properly activated, produce electromagnetic emissions that have beneficial effects on inflammatory, painful pathologies, and neuro-muscular and postural modulations of the patient.

Abstract: The disclosure describes devices and methods for providing transdermal electrical stimulation therapy to a subject including positioning a stimulator electrode over a glabrous skin surface overlying a palm of the subject and delivering electrical stimulation via a pulse generator transdermally through the glabrous skin surface and to a target nerve or tissue within the hand to stimulate the target nerve or tissue within the hand so that pain felt by the subject is mitigated. The pulses generated during the electrical stimulation therapy may include pulses of two different magnitudes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and treating patients with heart failure are discussed. The system can store in a memory stimulation parameters, including stimulation timing parameters for a plurality of heart rate ranges. The system includes a plurality of timers with respective durations for the plurality of heart rate ranges. A stimulation control circuit can identify a target heart range in which a detected heart rate falls, and measure an atrioventricular (AV) conduction characteristic value in response to the timer for the target heart range being expired at the detected heart rate. The stimulation control circuit can update a stimulation parameter corresponding to the target heart rate range using the measured AV conduction characteristic. The updated stimulation parameter can be used in cardiac stimulation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a medical system, comprising at least an implantable medical device, and a multi-axis accelerometer comprised by the implantable medical device for measuring an acceleration of the implantable medical device along a plurality of vectors, wherein the multi-axis accelerometer is configured to provide for each vector a signal indicative of the acceleration of the implantable medical device in the direction of the respective vector. The medical system is configured to assess said signals to automatically select or propose a vector of said plurality of vectors that comprises the best alignment with a pre-defined vector.

Abstract: A handheld ultrasound guiding system for the transcutaneous delivery of a needle into blood vessel that can be used to then deliver a guidewire, the battery powered light-weight device consisting of a phased array ultrasound generator, a transducer probe, a screen, computer processor that is mechanically coupled to a needle holder mounted at an angle to the ultrasound probe, the needle is mounted such that it can be advanced into a target blood vessel that is being visualized real-time by the ultrasound probe.