Abstract: An exemplary 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: An exemplary 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 medical electrical lead for transvascularly stimulating a nerve, muscle or other tissue from an adjacent vessel is described. The lead includes a bifurcated distal portion including a first elongate member forming a first spiral and a second elongate member forming a second spiral. The spirals can be in parallel or serial alignment with one another.

Abstract: An electrical stimulation system and method for the treatment of neurological disorders is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical stimulation system includes channels of electrodes positioned in electrical contact with tissue of a neuromuscular target body region of a patient to provide pattered neuromuscular stimulation to the patient's musculature. In addition, at least one electrode from a channel is positioned in electrical contact with a tissue of the motor control region of the brain. A series of patterned electrical pulses are then applied to the patient through the channels to provide peripheral neuromuscular stimulation, and a direct current is applied transcranially to the brain. Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

Abstract: A rechargeable implantable medical device with a magnetic shield placed on the distal side of a secondary recharging coil to improve charging efficiency is disclosed. The rechargeable implantable medical device can be a wide variety of medical devices such as neuro stimulators, drug delivery pumps, pacemakers, defibrillators, diagnostic recorders, cochlear implants. The implantable medical device has a secondary recharging coil carried over a magnetic shield and coupled to electronics and a rechargable power source carried inside the housing. The electronics are configured to perform a medical therapy. Additionally a method for enhancing electromagnetic coupling during recharging of an implantable medical device is disclosed, and a method for reducing temperature rise during recharging of an implantable medical device is disclosed.

Abstract: An insulative housing formed about a distal end of a medical electrical lead body includes a cavity and a port; an ionically conductive medium fills the cavity and is in intimate contact with an electrode surface contained within the cavity. When a current is delivered to the electrode surface contained within the cavity, a first current density generated at the electrode surface is smaller than a second current density generated out from the port of the insulative housing; thus, the port forms a high impedance and low polarization tissue-stimulating electrode.

Abstract: A surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is emulated using signals detected by internal leads of an implanted device. In one example, emulation is performed using a technique that concatenates portions of signals sensed using different electrodes, such as by combining far-field ventricular signals sensed in the atria with far-field atrial signals sensed in the ventricles. In another example, emulation is performed using a technique that selectively amplifies or attenuates portions of a single signal, such as by attenuating near-field portions of an atrial unipolar signal relative to far-field portions of the same signal. The surface EKG emulation may be performed by the implanted device itself or by an external programmer based on cardiac signals transmitted thereto. A transtelephonic monitoring network is also described, wherein the emulated surface EKG (or raw data used to emulate the EKG) is relayed from an implanted device to a remote monitor, typically installed in a physician's office.

Abstract: A biostimulator system comprises one or more implantable devices and an external programmer configured for communicating with the implantable device or devices via bidirectional communication pathways comprising a receiving pathway that decodes information encoded on stimulation pulses generated by ones of the implantable device or devices and conducted through body tissue to the external programmer.

Abstract: A sensor based gastric stimulator system and method for gastric stimulation of a patient employing an implantable gastric stimulator, which includes an information processor, an electrical stimulator circuit, and telemetry circuitry. The implantable stimulator senses intrinsic, gastric electrical activity (slow waves and/or peristaltic waves) and delivers electrical stimulation to intentionally disrupt or disorganize that activity. The stimulation is triggered by (tracks) normal gastric electrical activity and can be delivered with a spatial offset to anticipate the propagating gastric electrical activity or may be delayed temporally to anticipate the next propagating slow or peristaltic wave. The stimulator may be programmed to disrupt/disorganize all or a percentage of the intrinsic, normal gastric electrical activity. The programmer (via radio frequency data link) may non-invasively program stimulation parameters and intervals.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes providing an optimal interventricular interval, determining an atrio-ventricular conduction delay for the ventricle having faster atrio-ventricular conduction, determining an interventricular conduction delay and determining an advance atrio-ventricular pacing interval, for use in pacing the ventricle having slower atrio-ventricular conduction, based at least in part on the optimal interventricular interval and the interventricular conduction delay. Other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode assembly for use in a prosthetic hearing implant is disclosed, the electrode assembly comprising: an elongate carrier member for implantation into the cochlea, said carrier member having a proximal end adapted to be positioned in a basal region of the cochlea, and a distal end adapted to be positioned toward an apical region of the cochlea, wherein a substantial portion of said carrier member has a fabiform cross section; and a plurality of electrodes disposed along said carrier member.

Abstract: A housing for an implantable device to be secured to a patient's bone is disclosed. The housing comprises at least one osseointegrating protuberance extending from one or more surfaces of the housing adapted to abut the patient's bone. The at least one osseointegrating protuberance is configured to be extricated from the bone subsequent to osseointegration. The housing can be used, for example, for an implantable stimulator unit of a cochlear prosthetic device.

Abstract: Methods and kits for delivering an electrode lead into the head of a patient are provided. A burr hole is formed within the cranium of the patient, and an electrode lead is threaded through the burr hole. The electrode lead is then placed in a pre-shaped two-dimensional geometry between the cranium and cortical brain tissue of the patient. An access anchor may be mounted into the burr hole to facilitate introduction and removal of the electrode lead and other devices. In some circumstances, it may be desirable to separate the dura mater overlying the cortical brain tissue from the cortical brain tissue to create a pocket in which the electrode lead may be manipulated. In this case, a tissue layer dissection device can be introduced through the burr hole, operated to separate the dura mater from the cranium, and then removed from the burr hole.

Abstract: A leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises a housing, a plurality of electrodes coupled to an outer surface of the housing, and a pulse delivery system hermetically contained with the housing and electrically coupled to the electrode plurality, the pulse delivery system configured for sourcing energy internal to the housing, generating and delivering electrical pulses to the electrode plurality. The pacemaker further comprises an activity sensor hermetically contained within the housing and adapted to sense activity and a processor hermetically contained within the housing and communicatively coupled to the pulse delivery system, the activity sensor, and the electrode plurality, the processor configured to control electrical pulse delivery at least partly based on the sensed activity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of changes in physiologic parameters of a patient that includes generating measured physiologic parameters, generating an adaptive baseline trend of the measured physiologic parameters corresponding to a first time period, generating a short term trend of the measured physiologic parameters corresponding to a second time period less than the first time period, and generating a metric of physiologic parameter change between the adaptive baseline trend and one of a most recent measured physiologic parameter and the short term trend of the measured physiologic parameters.

Abstract: Alternative stimuli, i.e., stimuli other than the constant amplitude stimuli used in prior fitting schemes, are used to set the parameters of a cochlear implant system. The use of such alternative stimuli allows the entire fitting process to be completed in a very short time period, and generally eliminates the need for secondary adjustments. In one preferred embodiment, the alternative stimuli comprise white noise that is internally generated within the speech processor.

Abstract: A surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is emulated using signals detected by the internal leads of an implanted device. In one example, the emulation is performed using a technique that concatenates portions of signals sensed using different electrodes. In another example, the emulation is performed using a technique that selectively amplifies or attenuates portions of a single cardiac signal sensed using a single pair of electrodes. The surface EKG emulation may be performed by the implanted device itself or by an external device, such as a programmer, based on cardiac signals transmitted thereto. The external device then displays the emulated surface EKG along with an intracardiac electrogram (IEGM) and set of event markers. Alternatively, the external device displays an entire set of emulated EKGs that had been generated based on the same patient input data but using different emulation techniques.

Abstract: An AED includes defibrillation circuitry housed within an enclosure, a first processor programmed to periodically test the operability of the defibrillation circuitry and a second processor in communication with the first processor. The AED further includes a visual indicator, such as a red/green LED, positioned at the exterior of the enclosure that is operatively connected to the second processor. The second processor is programmed to control the visual indicator in response to the periodic test results provided to it by the first processor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical feedthrough for insertion into an opening of an implantable electrical treatment device having an electrically insulating insulation body through which at least one electrically conductive terminal pin passes, which is connected hermetically sealed to the insulation body using a solder, the solder material being glass or glass ceramic.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a lead assembly including an implantable lead body including a lumen, a conductor extending through the lumen in the lead body, and an electrode including a tube having an internal surface. In an example, at least a portion of the tube is formed into a helix. The conductor is electrically coupled to the internal surface of the first tube. An example method includes winding a tubular electrode around a mandrel, extending a conductor through a lumen in a lead body for a medical device lead assembly, and extending the conductor into the tubular electrode.