Abstract: An apnea preventing stimulation apparatus having a conductive unit is attached to a mental region of a patient and electric pulses flow from the conductive unit to the mental region of the patient to thereby apply stimuli thereto. A formula is utilized to increase a rate of an output level of the amplitude in an electric pulse until a first time width elapses. Consequently, immediately after outputting stimulation signals, the amplitude of the electric pulse groups does not abruptly increase, thus enabling the patient to be hardly affected by the stimulation signals. Until just before the time reaches the end of a time width after the output start of the stimulation signal, the rate of the output level of the amplitude in the electric pulse groups does not reach 1, permitting the emotional strain on the patient to be eased.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) mode involve sensing electrocardiogram (ECG) data for a patient, identifying a PR interval from the sensed ECG data, comparing the PR interval to a threshold, and selecting a CRT mode by selecting between a synchrony optimization mode and a preload optimization mode, the selection based on the comparison of the PR interval to the threshold. A synchrony optimization mode may be selected if the parameter is less than the threshold, and may optimize CRT for fusion between a left ventricular pulse and an intrinsic wavefront. The preload optimization mode may be selected if the parameter is greater than the threshold, and may optimize CRT for fusion between respective wavefronts of the left ventricular pace and a right ventricular pace.

Abstract: There is provided an electric apparatus for monitoring an electrocardiogram signal of a person, comprising an attaching mechanism configured to enable the attachment of the electric apparatus to a wearable item, first and second electrodes for electrical contact with the skin of the person, wherein, during operation, the first electrode is placed between the wearable item and the skin of the person and the second electrode is placed on the opposite side of the wearable item, a detector configured to detect the electrocardiogram signal between the two electrodes, and a transmitter configured to transmit wirelessly information regarding the electrocardiogram signal detected by the detector.

Abstract: A system for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection, includes an acquisition device for acquiring an electrophysiological signal representing a heart beat cycle of a patient heart. A detector detects multiple parameters of the electrophysiological signal comprising at least one of, (a) amplitude, (b) time duration, (c) frequency and (d) time-frequency, representative parameters. A signal analyzer calculates at least one ratio of the detected parameters from ratios including, (i) ratio of T wave amplitude to P wave amplitude, (ii) ratio of time duration of ST wave to time duration of PR wave, (iii) ratio of a frequency of a PR wave to a frequency of a RT wave and (iv) ratio of a time-frequency measure of a PR wave to a time-frequency measure of a RT wave. A comparator determines whether a calculated ratio exceeds a predetermined upper limit threshold or a predetermined lower limit threshold.

Abstract: A system and method of applying an electric field to the kidney of a subject can reduce renal salt and water retention through the process of electrophoresis. The system includes a first and a second electrode, at least of which is implantably associated with the kidney. The electric field can be controlled to affect the removal of a first constituent (e.g. sodium) from the kidney while the level of a second constituent (e.g. potassium) is maintained within normal physiological range.

Abstract: A system comprising an implantable medical device that comprises a memory circuit, a radiation detector circuit configured to detect a condition correlative to a high-energy radiation level that exceeds a background radiation level, and a controller circuit. The control circuit checks memory locations for errors using a first rate of error checking per time period during a normal operation mode and, in response to the radiation detector circuit indicating a high-energy radiation level, initiates a memory scrubbing mode, wherein the memory scrubbing mode has an increased rate of error checking substantially all memory locations per time period in the memory circuit to check for any errors and correct any such errors.

Abstract: In general, the disclosure relates to the delivery of therapy according to a detected posture state of a patient. The disclosure contemplates a variety of techniques for managing therapy delivered to a patent, including patient and clinician interaction with a medical device configured to deliver therapy according to posture state. In one example, the disclosure relates to a technique including obtaining an operational status of a therapy group from a medical device, wherein the medical device is configured to deliver therapy to a patient according to a detected posture state of the patient; and presenting the operational status of the therapy group via an external device, wherein presenting the operational status of the therapy group comprises presenting whether the therapy group is active for delivery of therapy.

Abstract: A medical electrical lead that includes a lead body and at least one tubular electrode sub-assembly positioned over and attached to the external surface of the lead body. The lead body includes at least one elongated conductive element, such as a cable, that is electrically connected to an electrode of the tubular electrode sub-assembly. The tubular electrode sub-assembly includes a tubular liner and an electrode embedded in the outer surface of the liner. In some embodiments, only a portion of the inner surface of the tubular liner is attached to the lead body which may potentially improve flexibility of the medical electrode lead in the area occupied by the tubular electrode sub-assembly.

Abstract: A medical electrical lead that includes a lead body and at least one tubular electrode sub-assembly positioned over and attached to the lead body. The lead body includes at least one elongated conductive element, such as a cable, that is electrically connected to a coiled electrode of the tubular electrode sub-assembly. The tubular electrode sub-assembly includes a tubular liner and an electrode embedded in the outer surface of the liner. In some embodiments, only a portion of the inner surface of the tubular liner is attached to the lead body in order to improve flexibility of the medical electrode lead in the area occupied by the tubular electrode sub-assembly.

Abstract: An adapter for temporary sterile electric connection of an implantable medical electronic device to an electrode line that is to be connected to the implantable medical electronic device during implantation for undistorted transmission of measured values detectable on the electrode line to the device.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the respiration rate of a patient includes attaching a plurality of electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes and a pressure sensor to a patient, producing a first respiration signal based on variations detected in signals provided by the ECG electrodes attached to the patient, and producing a second respiration signal based on pressure variations detected in the pressure sensor secured to the patient. The method also includes selecting at least one of the first respiration signal and the second respiration signal based on respective signal qualities and producing a respiration rate from the selected signal. The method also includes providing indicia of the respiration rate. The method may also include displaying ECG signals with the indicia of the respiration rate.

Abstract: An adaptive cardiac resynchronization therapy system delivers biventricular stimulation to the heart with dynamic AV delay and VV interval. The stimulation is modified continuously in correlation with the hemodynamic performance of the heart. The system uses a spiking neural network comprising spike controller (42) that learns to associate the VA interval based on hemodynamic sensor temporal patterns. The associated VA interval replaces the sensed atrial event signal during atrial fibrillation episodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for provisional cardiac stimulation during replacement of pacemakers (PMs). Said device enables fitting on an electrode catheter separated from the pocket of the PM of a radio-frequency coil (2) connected to an external apparatus (3) for generating variable-frequency pulsed signals. The device according to the invention can be used in the case of both unipolar and bipolar electrodes. According to a preferential embodiment, a sterile plate or electrode is set subcutaneously and connected to the external generator (3) for completing reclosing for cardiac stimulation, hi the event where there is the need to intervene in order to replace of a PM with bipolar electrodes, the subcutaneous plate is preferentially used; the subcutaneous plate is preferentially used as positive electrode, used RF stimulation will in this case be performed in a unipolar way by the combined action of the plate and of the electrode probe of the electrode catheter.