Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes acquiring an electroneurogram of the right carotid sinus nerve or the left carotid sinus nerve, analyzing the electroneurogram for at least one of chemosensory information and barosensory information and calling for one or more therapeutic actions based at least in part on the analyzing. Therapeutic actions may aim to treat conditions such as sleep apnea, an increase in metabolic demand, hypoglycemia, hypertension, renal failure, and congestive heart failure. Other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: A TENS apparatus includes a portable TENS device having a housing with a lower surface, a pair of integral electrodes that are incorporated in the lower surface of the housing, and a pulse driver that is located within the housing and adapted to generate a program of pulse waveforms, each of which is an asymmetrical biphasic square waveform.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for configuring an implantable device to interface with retina cells are described. The device may comprise an array of pixel units capable of stimulating the retina cells are described. The pixel units may operate in a mode of operation selected from a plurality of modes including a normal mode and a calibration mode. A control circuitry of the device may be configured to switch the mode of operation for the pixel units. In one embodiment, the pixel units may be configured to receive light for stimulating the retina cells during the normal mode to enable perception of the light. During the calibration mode, the pixel units may be configured to adjust amount of stimulation to the retina cells.

Abstract: A system including a sensor interface coupled to a processor. The sensor interface is configured to receive and process an analog electrocardiogram signal of a subject and provide a digitized electrocardiogram signal sampled over a first time period and a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period. The processor is configured to receive the digitized electrocardiogram signal, to analyze a frequency domain transform of the digitized electrocardiogram signal sampled over the first and second time periods and determine first and second metrics indicative of metabolic state of a myocardium of the subject during the first and second time periods, respectively, to compare the first and second metrics to determine whether the metabolic state of the myocardium of the subject is improving, and to indicate administration of an intervention to the subject in response to a determination that the metabolic state is not improving.

Abstract: For supplying energy to a medical implant (100) in a patient's body a receiver (102) cooperates with an external energizer (104) so that energy is wirelessly transferred. A feedback communication system (109) sends feedback information from the receiver to the energizer, the feedback information being related to the transfer of energy to the receiver. The feedback communication system communicates using the patient's body as an electrical signal line. In particular, the communication path between the receiver and the external energizer can be established using a capacitive coupling, i.e. the feedback information can be capacitively transferred over a capacitor having parts outside and inside the patient's body. An energy balance between the amount of energy received in the receiver and the energy used by the medical implant can be followed over time, and then the feedback information is related to the energy balance.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for controlling transmission of wireless energy to a medical device (100) implanted in a mammal patient, the wireless energy is transmitted from an external energy source (104) located outside a patient and is received by an internal energy receiver (102) located inside the patient, for directly or indirectly supplying received energy to the medical device. An ultrasonic feedback control signal (S) is transmitted from an internal ultrasonic signal transmitter (110) located inside the patient to an external ultrasonic signal receiver (112) located outside the patient. The feedback control signal relates to the energy for operating the medical device and is used for controlling the transmission of wireless energy from the external energy source.

Abstract: A leadless intra-cardiac medical device (LIMD) includes a housing configured to be implanted entirely within a single local chamber of the heart.

Abstract: Systems and methods for temporarily pacing a patient's heart are provided. One system includes a hemostasis valve with an adjustable electrical connection, the adjustable electrical connection having one or more adjustable contacts. The adjustable contacts have a first, radially expanded configuration and a second, radially constricted configuration. In the radially constricted configuration, the adjustable contacts are configured to pierce through a layer of an elongate medical device that is disposed in the hemostasis valve. The elongate medical device has a distal electrode and a conductor extending along a portion of the elongate medical device. The adjustable contacts pierce through a make contact with the conductor, providing an electrical pathway to the distal electrode. Also provided are vascular access systems including a hemostasis valve and a guide catheter, guide wire torquers with adjustable contacts and methods of temporarily pacing a patient's heart.

Abstract: An implantable heart stimulating device for indicating congestive heart failure (CHF) has a processor and a sensor combination that senses at least two heart events during one heart cycle at different locations of the heart. The processor is supplied with signals from the sensor combination relating to the sensed events, and determines therefrom at least one heart time interval between the sensed events in the same heart cycle. The processor determines a CHF indicator value representing a degree of CHF based on a variability measure calculated from at least two heart time intervals from at least two different heart cycles. The processor determines the CHF indicator value in relation to previous CHF indicator values.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cardiac contraction detection using information indicative of lead motion are described. In an example, an implantable medical device can include a receiver circuit configured to be electrically coupled to conductor comprising a portion of an implantable lead and be configured to obtain information indicative of a movement of the implantable lead due at least in part to a motion of a heart. The device can include a processor circuit configured to determine whether a cardiac mechanical contraction occurred during a specified interval included in the obtained information indicative of the movement of the implantable lead. The processor circuit can be configured to determine information about the cardiac mechanical contraction using the obtained information indicative of the movement of the implantable lead.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods for the detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) and related conditions. One embodiment provides a method comprising measuring electrical activity of the heart using electrodes arranged on the heart surface to define an area for detecting aberrant electrical activity (AEA) and then using the measured electrical activity (MEA) to detect foci of AEA causing AF. A pacing signal may then be sent to the foci to prevent AF onset. Atrial wall motion characteristics (WMC) may be sensed using an accelerometer placed on the heart and used with MEA to detect AF. The WMC may be used to monitor effectiveness of the pacing signal in preventing AF and/or returning the heart to normal sinus rhythm (NSR). Also, upon AF detection, a cardioversion signal may be sent to the atria using the electrodes to depolorize an atrial area causing AF and return the heart to NSR.

Abstract: A high-frequency treatment instrument of the present invention includes: a pair of forceps members that includes a conductive electrode portion and an insulating portion and is supported by the forceps rotation shaft so as to be relatively rotatable; an operation section configured to open and close the pair of forceps members; a link mechanism that is attached to the pair of forceps members and includes a pair of link members; an operation wire that connects the link mechanism to the operation section; a rotation contact member that is rotatably connected to the pair of forceps members; and a regulation wire in which one end thereof is electrically connected to the rotation contact member, a part of an intermediate portion thereof is disposed so as to pass through a space between the respective link members, and the other end thereof is electrically connected to a power supply.

Abstract: An implantable medical device, IMD, comprises atrial and ventricular sensing units for sensing atrial or ventricular electric events. The IMD also comprises atrial and ventricular pulse generators for generating atrial or ventricular pacing pulses. The ventricular sensing unit is connectable to a multi-electrode lead to individually sense electric events in a ventricle using multiple electrode pairs implanted at different ventricular sites. A controller blanks the ventricular sensing unit during a blanking period following delivery of an atrial stimulating pulse by the atrial pulse generator and activates the ventricular sensing unit at the expiry of the blanking period. Due to the lower propagation speed of PVC depolarization waves and the multi-site sensing, a PVC depolarization wave initiated at a ventricular site during the blanking period can be detected by the IMD.

Abstract: An implantable lead includes an inner core substrate. A plurality of conductors that include at least one layer of at least one conductive material are deposited on the inner core substrate. A patterned insulator layer is disposed over the conductors such that at least two regions of each conductor remain exposed through the insulator. A patterned terminal layer defines a plurality of separated terminals that are deposited at a proximal end of the lead. At least one terminal is electrically coupled to each conductor via at least one of the exposed regions of the at least one conductor. A patterned electrode layer defines a plurality of separated electrodes that are deposited at a distal end of the lead. At least one electrode is electrically coupled to each conductor via at least one of the exposed regions of the at least one conductor.

Abstract: A lead includes a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal end of the lead, a plurality of contact terminals disposed on the proximal end of the lead, a plurality of conductor wires extending along the lead to couple the electrodes electrically to the contact terminals, a central lumen defined by the lead and extending from the proximal end of the lead towards the distal end of the lead, and a tubular stiffener disposed in the proximal end of the central lumen. The tubular stiffener is configured and arranged to facilitate insertion of the proximal end of the lead into a connector.

Abstract: An implantable medical device, IMD, comprises atrial and ventricular sensing units for sensing atrial or ventricular electric events. The IMD also comprises atrial and ventricular pulse generators for generating atrial or ventricular pacing pulses. A controller controls the operation of the IMD (100) according to a first mode, in which the ventricular pulse generator is prevented from generating a back-up pulse if an evoked response detector fails to detect evoked response to a delivered ventricular pacing pulse, and a second mode, in which the ventricular pulse generator is controlled to generate a back-up pulse if no evoked response is detected following delivery of a ventricular stimulating pulse. The controller switches operation from the first mode to the second mode based on the evoked response detector failing to detect an evoked response to a delivered ventricular pacing pulse.

Abstract: A device for detecting cardiac ischemia is disclosed. The device includes a processor that is configured to distinguish between two different heart beats types such as left bundle branch block beats and normal sinus beats. The processor applies different ischemia tests to the two different beat types, and generates alert when it detects ischemia.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention comprises a method of monitoring cardiac electrical activity with two or more ECG devices and computing an enhanced cardiac electrical signal from the cardiac electrical signals obtained from the two or more ECG devices. Electrodes of the two or more ECG devices are positioned in a manner to provide an electrical potential difference that is large enough to give useful information about a given ECG signal. The method further includes recommending addition of a supplemental ECG device when it is determined that the one or more of the existing ECG devices are inadequate for providing cardiac electrical data that identifies a specific cardiac event.

Abstract: Systems and methods to monitor cardiac function using information indicative of lead motion are described. In an example, a system including an implantable medical device can include a receiver circuit configured to be electrically coupled to conductor comprising a portion of an implantable lead and be configured to obtain information indicative of a movement of the implantable lead due at least in part to a motion of a heart. The system can include a sensing circuit configured to obtain information indicative of cardiac electrical activity. The system can include a processor circuit configured to construct a template representative of a contraction of the heart, where the template can be constructed using the information indicative of the movement of the implantable lead due at least in part to the motion of the heart during the contraction, and using the information indicative of the cardiac electrical activity sensed during the contraction.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for the detection and treatment of atrial arrhythmia comprising an electrical lead having proximal and distal portions. The distal portion is positionable in an atrial chamber and the end of the proximal portion is configured to be coupled to a pacemaker. The lead comprises a plurality of conductive wires clad with an insulative coating and has sufficient flexibility to be positioned in the atria from a percutaneous introductory site. The conductive wires are coupled to a plurality of pairs of bipolar electrodes positioned on a membrane attachable to an endocardial wall. The electrode pairs are distributed in a pattern defining an area for detecting a location of a foci of aberrant electrical activity located within or adjacent the area and sending a pacing signal to that location to prevent or stop an occurrence of atrial fibrillation caused by that foci.