Abstract: A nerve-stimulating and signal-monitoring device includes a flexible substrate, a modulation/demodulation module, a SOC unit and a plurality of stimulation probes. The modulation/demodulation module demodulates coded nerve-stimulating radio-frequency signals or modulates sending coded epidermal nerve response signals. The SOC unit and the modulation/demodulation module can be integrally packaged and bonded on the flexible substrate. The SOC unit decodes and transforms the coded nerve-stimulating radio-frequency signals to obtain nerve-stimulating electrical probe-driving signals. The stimulation probes protrude from the flexible substrate, are configured to transmit the nerve-stimulating electrical probe-driving signals to epidermal nerves, and are electrically coupled to the SOC unit.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a nerve-stimulating and signal-monitoring device includes the steps of forming a first silicon oxide layer on a surface of a flexible substrate; forming a patterned doped p-type poly-silicon layer on the first silicon oxide layer; forming a second silicon oxide layer on the patterned doped p-type poly-silicon layer; forming a circuit layer on the second silicon oxide layer; forming a plurality of openings on the second silicon oxide layer; forming a gold layer on the circuit layer and on the plurality of contact pads on the patterned doped p-type poly-silicon layer; attaching a chip to the plurality of chip pads of the circuit layer by using a flip-chip bonding technology; forming a plurality of through holes on the at least one probe pad; and securely and correspondingly attaching a plurality of stimulation probes into the plurality of through holes.

Abstract: A particular method of providing power to an implantable medical device includes providing a first signal to a primary coil that is inductively coupled to a secondary coil of an implantable medical device. The method also include determining a first alignment difference between a voltage corresponding to the first signal and at least one of a current corresponding to the first signal and a component voltage at a component of a primary coil circuit. The method further includes determining a frequency sweep range based on the first alignment difference. The method also includes performing a frequency sweep over the frequency sweep range.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed towards posture-responsive therapy. To avoid interruptions in effective therapy, an implantable medical device may include a posture state module that detects the posture state of the patient and automatically adjusts therapy parameter values according to the detected posture state. A system may include a posture state module that records a current posture of a patient, a user interface that receives a therapy adjustment, a processor that associates a posture that the posture state module recorded when the user interface received the therapy adjustment with the therapy adjustment, determines whether the posture falls within a defined posture state, compares the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state, and updates the set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison.

Abstract: A flexible electrode lead in particular for use with a medical implant comprises, an elongated electrode body with a proximal and a distal end, at least one conductor leading from the proximal towards the distal end of the electrode lead, a first ring element at the distal end of the electrode lead connected to the conductor and being positioned coaxially in the lead electrode body a second ring element spaced distally of the first ring element and being positioned coaxially in the lead electrode body, a coil conductor between the first and second ring element, wherein the coil conductor is adapted to form an inductance which is in parallel circuitry with the capacitor to form a filter element in the conductor, and the first ring element, the coil conductor and the second ring element comprise a central feedthrough for a guidance element for the electrode lead.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for percutaneously gaining access to oxygenated bood with an anastomosis device and pumping such oxygenated blood to other arterial regions of the vascular system. In one embodiment, a system may include an anastomosis device extending through an opening of the atrial septum. A filament may be coupled to the anastomosis device. A snare may access the right atrium through the superior vena cava, grasp the filament, and withdraw the filament through the superior vena cava. The filament may then be used as a guide to direct a catheter, a conduit or some other structure into the right atrium of the heart via the superior vena cava. A flow path may be defined between the anastomosis device and an arterial location, such as in the aorta, such that at least some oxygenated blood may by-pass the left ventricle and be discharged into the aorta.

Abstract: A tactile and audible sensation can be provided to a patient using a coiled or scrolled film in response to a received control signal. The tactile and audible sensation can be configured to stimulate the patient's central nervous system to sufficiently interrupt and undesirable sleep behavior of the patient, but avoid significantly changing a sleep state of the patient.

Abstract: The electrode lead system of a preferred embodiment includes a series of first electrical subsystems; a guiding element that positions the series of first electrical subsystems in a three dimensional arrangement within body tissue; a second electrical subsystem; and at least one connector that couples the first electrical subsystems to the second electrical subsystem. The electrode lead system of another preferred embodiment includes a series of electrode arrays; a guide tube that facilitates implantation of electrode arrays within body tissue and temporarily contains the series of electrode arrays; and a guiding element that provides a bias on the series of electrode arrays such that (a) when contained by the guide tube, the first electrical subsystems maintain a substantially singular path within body tissue, and (b) when not contained by the guide tube, the first electrical subsystems diverge along more than one path into a three dimensional arrangement within body tissue.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for percutaneously gaining access to oxygenated blood with one or more anastomosis devices and pumping such oxygenated blood directly to the aorta adjacent to the right atrium or left atrium via a VAD system. In one embodiment, a VAD system can be implanted with open surgery.

Abstract: A method for providing relief from Meniere's disease, includes reversibly disabling vestibular function following detection of an attack of Meniere's disease following detection of an attack of Meniere's disease.

Abstract: A medical device and associated method for discriminating cardiac events includes determining whether a first match score is within a first match zone having a first correlation with a non-treatable cardiac event, a second match zone having a second correlation with the non-treatable cardiac event less than the first correlation with the non-treatable event, a third match zone having a first correlation with a treatable cardiac event, and a fourth match zone having a second correlation with the treatable cardiac event greater than the first correlation with the treatable cardiac event. A determination is made as to whether a second match score and a third match score are within the first match zone, the second match zone, the third match zone and the fourth match zone to generate a first adjusting factor, and cardiac event evidence is accumulated in response to the first adjusting factor for discriminating cardiac events.

Abstract: An implantable lead is provided that includes a lead body configured to be implanted in a patient. The lead body has a distal end and a proximal end, and a lumen extending between the distal and proximal ends and includes a connector assembly provided at the proximal end of the lead body. The connector assembly is configured to connect to an implantable medical device and includes an electrode provided proximate to the distal end of the lead body with the electrode configured to at least one of deliver stimulating pulses and sense electrical activity. A multi-layer coil is located within the lumen and extends at least partially along a length of the lead body. The coil includes a first winding formed with multiple winding turns, the winding turns being segmented in an alternating pattern of insulated segments and non-insulated segments along the length of the lead body.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system and methods for assessing the state of the neuromuscular pathway to ensure further nerve tests aimed at detecting at least one of a breach in a pedicle wall, nerve proximity, nerve direction, and nerve pathology, are not conducted when neuromuscular blockade levels may decrease the reliability of the results.

Abstract: A chamber or vasculature of a heart may be accessed via the pericardial space of the heart. Initially, the pericardial space may be accessed via a transmyocardial approach or a subxiphoid approach. A lead or other implantable apparatus may thus be routed into the pericardial space, through myocardial tissue and into the chamber or vasculature. The lead or other apparatus may be used to sense activity in or provide therapy to the heart.

Abstract: In an implantable heart monitoring device and method, particularly for monitoring diastolic dysfunction, a control circuit (a) detects the heart rate, (b) derives information correlated to the stroke volume of the heart at the detected heart rate, and (c) stores the detected heart rate and the derived information correlated to the stroke volume in a memory. The control circuit automatically implements (a), (b) and (c) at a number of different occasions for a number of different, naturally varying heart rates, so that the memory contains information indicating the stroke volume as a function of the heart rate.

Abstract: The invention provides a body-worn monitor featuring a processing system that receives a digital data stream from an ECG system. A cable houses the ECG system at one terminal end, and plugs into the processing system, which is worn on the patient's wrist like a conventional wristwatch. The ECG system features: i) a connecting portion connected to multiple electrodes worn by the patient; ii) a differential amplifier that receives electrical signals from each electrode and process them to generate an analog ECG waveform; iii) an analog-to-digital converter that converts the analog ECG waveform into a digital ECG waveform; and iv) a transceiver that transmits a digital data stream representing the digital ECG waveform (or information calculated from the waveform) through the cable and to the processing system. Different ECG systems, typically featuring three, five, or twelve electrodes, can be interchanged with one another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an active medical device that uses non-linear filtering for reconstructing a surface electrocardiogram from an endocardial electrogram. At least one endocardial EGM electrogram signal is collected from of samples collected from at least one endocardial or epicardial derivation (71?, 72?, 73?), and at least one of a reconstructed surface electrocardiogram (ECG) signal through the processing of collected EGM samples by a transfer function (TF) of a neural network (60?). The neural network (60?) is a time-delay-type network that simultaneously processes said at least one endocardial EGM electrogram signal, formed by a first sequence of collected samples, and at least one delayed version of this EGM signal, formed by a second sequence of collected samples distinct from the first sequence collected samples. The neural network (60?) provides said reconstructed ECG signal from the EGM signal and its delayed version.

Abstract: An electrode device for active medical implants that includes an elongated electrode body having a proximal end and a distal end, a tip contact pole on the distal end and/or a ring contact pole before the distal end, electrical supply leads to the tip and ring contact poles, and a high-frequency filter in at least one of the supply leads, which is composed of one or more electronic components (9) and is assigned to the tip and/or ring contact pole, wherein the electronic component(s) (9) are each designed as a miniature component using LTCC technology.

Abstract: A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries. The pacing system receives a set of inputs and calculates parameters for delivering optimized cardiac protection pacing tailored for different stress levels. The system automatically adjusts heart rate to optimize cardiac protection pacing in a closed-loop system. In one embodiment, a method for delivering pacing pulses for cardiac protection is provided. Intrinsic atrioventricular (AV) intervals are sensed. The intrinsic AV interval and a predetermined equation relating the AV interval to an optimal AV delay are used to provide a maximum positive rate of left ventricular pressure change during systole. An AV delay is calculated using a predetermined percentage of the optimal AV delay to deliver ventricular pacing pulses to provide a desired level of stress for cardiac protective pacing therapy (CPPT) to provide a cardiac conditioning therapy to improve autonomic balance.

Abstract: A method includes estimating a cardiac signal of a patient, estimating a length of a cardiac refractory period based in part on the cardiac signal and selectively adjusting the length of phrenic nerve electrical stimulation to be delivered to the patient based on the estimated length of the cardiac refractory period. In some examples the method includes delivering phrenic nerve stimulation for approximately the entire refractory period. The phrenic nerve stimulation may be used to treat a variety of breathing disorders.