Abstract: A method and medical device for monitoring patient medication compliance that includes a plurality of electrodes to deliver a pacing therapy and a processor configured to determine a pacing threshold in response to the delivered pacing therapy, determine whether there is a change in the pacing threshold, and determine patient medication compliance in response to the determined changes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light application apparatus (1) for applying light to an object (3). A light source (4) generates processing light (2) and sensing light (5), which are coupled into the object (3). A light detector (8) detects the sensing light (5) after having left the object (3), and a control unit (9) controls the light source (4) such that processing light (2) in a processing time interval and sensing light (5) in a sensing time interval are alternately generated. Since processing light and sensing light are generated alternately, the generation of the processing light and of the sensing light is decoupled, i.e. the processing light can be optimized for processing purposes and the sensing light can be optimized for sensing purposes. This allows improving the quality of sensing the object and, thus, the quality of controlling the application of light depending on properties of the object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin and flexible device and method of use thereof for pain and wound treatment of a subject. The integrated surface stimulation device may comprise a complete wireless stimulation system in a disposable and/or reusable flexible device for widespread use in multiple therapeutic applications. The invention would be situated on the skin surface of a patient and would be activated so as to reduce the overall occurrence of pain and/or increase wound healing rates. As provided, the device will comprise an integrated power supply and pre-programmable stimulator/control system mounted on the upper face of a flexible polymeric substrate layer. The lower face of the substrate layer will comprise areas of stimulating electrodes, applied using thin film coating techniques. The device can then be applied to the user with a medical grade pressure sensitive adhesive coating provided on the lower face of the substrate layer.

Abstract: An implantable medical system is configured to coordinate ventricular pacing with intrinsic depolarizations of another chamber. The implantable medical system includes a leadless pacing device implanted on or within the ventricle. Another implantable medical device is configured to sense an intrinsic depolarization the other chamber of the heart of the patient, and in response to the intrinsic depolarization of the other chamber, deliver an electrical pulse. The leadless pacing device is configured to detect the electrical pulse delivered by the other implantable medical device and, in response to detecting the electrical pulse delivered by the other implantable medical device, deliver a pacing pulse to the ventricle via at least a first electrode in coordination with the intrinsic depolarization of the other chamber.

Abstract: Techniques for identifying abnormal cardiac substrate, e.g., scar substrate, may be implemented, as an example, during implantation of a left-ventricular (LV) lead, e.g., for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which may enable placement of the LV lead to avoid the abnormal cardiac substrate. An example system for identifying abnormal cardiac substrate comprises at least one implantable LV lead comprising at least one bipolar electrode pair configured to sense a LV bipolar cardiac electrogram signal of LV tissue proximate the bipolar electrode pair. The system delivers cardiac pacing pulses to a left ventricle via at least one electrodes of the LV lead, which may be different then the electrodes of the bipolar pair, and which may be spaced at least a threshold distance from the bipolar pair of electrodes. The amplitude of paced depolarizations in the bipolar electrogram indicates whether tissue proximate the bipolar electrode pair comprises abnormal cardiac substrate.

Abstract: An electro-stimulation system is provided with a compact power and control assembly and a plurality of shaped gel electrode patches with instructions to facilitate user administration of therapy.

Abstract: A device includes a lead configured to for use in applying an atrioventricular delay (“AVD”), an acceleration sensor adapted to output an endocardial acceleration signal, and circuitry configured to receive and process said endocardial acceleration signal to provide ventricular pacing by varying, in a controlled manner, the AVD in a range having a plurality of AVD values. The circuitry derives from said endocardial acceleration signal a value of a parameter representative of an component of the endocardial acceleration signal corresponding to the first endocardial acceleration peak associated with an isovolumetric ventricular contraction (“EAX component”), and evaluates a degree of variation of said parameter values as a function of said plurality of AVD values to detect atrial and ventricular events.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed that treat a medical condition, such as migraine headache, by electrically stimulating a nerve noninvasively, which may be a vagus nerve situated within a patient's neck. Preferred embodiments allow a patient to self-treat his or her condition. Disclosed methods assure that the device is being positioned correctly on the neck and that the amplitude and other parameters of the stimulation actually stimulate the vagus nerve with a therapeutic waveform. Those methods comprise measuring properties of the patient's larynx, pupil diameters, blood flow within an eye, electrodermal activity and/or heart rate variability.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for determining whether anodal capture of the right ventricle is occurring when delivering left ventricular pacing with a cross-chamber pacing vector. The systems and methods may be measure cross-chamber sense times from left ventricular pacing and right ventricular pacing and compare the cross-chamber sense times to determine whether anodal capture of the right ventricle is occurring.

Abstract: A buttstock includes a main body and a protecting member. The main body includes a shell member and an automated external defibrillator disposed in the shell member. The protecting member is movably connecting with the shell member of the main body so as to move relative to the shell member between a first position and a second position, wherein the protecting member shields the automated external defibrillator at the first position and exposes the automated external defibrillator at the second position respectively.

Abstract: A method for QRS classification, the method may include generating, by a computer and based upon information representative of multiple QRS complexes of a patient, a QRS complex cluster tree; and updating, by the computer, the QRS complex cluster tree based upon information relating to other QRS complexes of the patient.

Abstract: This document relates to cardiac resuscitation, and in particular to systems and techniques for protecting rescuers from electrical shock during defibrillation of a patient.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject is provided, including applying electrical stimulation to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve. The stimulation is configured to excite nervous tissue of the site at a strength sufficient to induce at least one neuroprotective occurrence selected from the group consisting of: an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) of the subject, and a release of one or more neuroprotective substances, and insufficient to induce a significant increase in permeability of a blood-brain barrier (BBB) of the subject.

Abstract: Exemplary versions of the invention include methods and apparatuses for assessing ventricular activation time by determining a point in time t1 of an initial positive deflection on a far-field electrogram and a point in time t2 of a first peak of the negative deflection on a near-field electrogram of a same heart cycle. They also determine a time difference between points in time t1 and t2 said time difference representing the ventricular activation time. A progression of ventricular conduction disorders such as the left bundle branch block (LBBB) and the right bundle branch block (RBBB) can be monitored. Trending analysis of the ventricular activation time provides a means for monitoring the progression of ventricular conduction diseases.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nerve stump interface for generating an electric field for promoting and guiding axonal regeneration and an electric field assisted axonal regeneration system. The nerve stump interface comprises a sieve having a plurality of holes. A strip is coupled to the sieve. A first electrode is provided at one of the plurality of holes and a second electrode is provided on the strip. The strip is arranged to space the second electrode from the first electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are for generating the electric field. At least one securing element is provided on a side of the strip to allow that side of the strip to affix against an opposite side of the strip. The present invention also provides a method for assembling the electric field assisted axonal regeneration system.

Abstract: A method and device for heart murmur extraction and classification is disclosed. Data corresponding to a heart sound/signal is acquired from a patient through a data acquirer. The heart sound data is processed to isolate systole and diastole periods. Features to discriminate between the defects types associated with different heart murmurs are extracted, and the heart murmurs are detected and identified based on the extracted features using a fuzzy controller.

Abstract: NMES systems and methods for stimulating muscle tissue, and in some embodiments deep muscle tissue. The impedance near the surface of the skin is controllably increased to increase the percentage of energy delivered to a subject that stimulates muscle tissue.

Abstract: In one general aspect, an implant includes a cuff defining an opening configured to receive a cannula coupled to a heart pump. The implant includes a coupling mechanism having a first position and a second position, the cuff being uncoupled from the cannula in the first position and the coupling mechanism coupling the cuff to the cannula in the second position. The implant includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the coupling mechanism in the second position, and the locking mechanism is configured to be moved to a locked position after the coupling mechanism is in the second position.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes positioning a lead in a patient where the lead has a longitudinal axis that extends from a proximal end to a distal end and where the lead includes an electrode with an electrical center offset from the longitudinal axis of the lead body; measuring electrical potential in a three-dimensional potential field using the electrode; and based on the measuring and the offset of the electrical center, determining lead roll about the longitudinal axis of the lead body where lead roll may be used for correction of field heterogeneity, placement or navigation of the lead or physiological monitoring (e.g., cardiac function, respiration, etc.). Various other methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes positioning a lead in a patient where the lead has a longitudinal axis that extends from a proximal end to a distal end and where the lead includes an electrode with an electrical center offset from the longitudinal axis of the lead body; measuring electrical potential in a three-dimensional potential field using the electrode; and based on the measuring and the offset of the electrical center, determining lead roll about the longitudinal axis of the lead body where lead roll may be used for correction of field heterogeneity, placement or navigation of the lead or physiological monitoring (e.g., cardiac function, respiration, etc.). Various other methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.