Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for detecting ventricular depolarization (QRS) of an electrocardiogram (ECG). The apparatus includes an input unit configured to receive an ECG signal, a memory configured to store a program for detecting R and ventricular depolarization using the ECG signal, and a processor configured to execute the program, wherein the processor detects a QRS interval and an R-peak using a first-order derivative filter and a max-filter.

Abstract: A chest tube device with neurostimulation is provided, along with a method of electrically stimulating at least one of (i) one or more peripheral nerves and (ii) one or more nerve fibers of a thoracic region of a patient, to mitigate pain in patients undergoing chest tube implantation. The chest tube device includes a tubular member and an electro-analgesic region to provide neurostimulation to one or more peripheral nerves and/or nerve fibers of the thoracic region of the patient. The method includes electrically stimulating one or more peripheral nerves and/or nerve fibers of the thoracic region of the patient, and hyperpolarizing the one or more peripheral nerves and/or nerve fibers of the thoracic region to (i) reduce an amount of pain signals from being transmitted to the brain of the patient and/or (ii) prevent pain signals from being transmitted to the brain of the patient.

Abstract: Intraoral electrical stimulation devices are disclosed. A representative device, which can be used to treat sleep apnea, includes an intraoral attachment body, a guide element carried by the attachment body and having a constrained guide path, and an electrode movably supported relative to the guide element and movable along the constrained guide path to a plurality of positions. A positioning member is coupleable to the electrode to move the electrode along the constrained guide path, and a signal generator is coupleable to the electrode to direct a stimulation signal to the electrode.

Abstract: The invention relates to an intercardiac pump device comprising a pump (11) whose distal end (13) is connected to a cannula (15) which is provided with a suction head (16) for sucking blood. Said strainer is provided with a non-sucking extension (20) for stabilising the position of said pump device in the heart and mechanically prolonging the cannula (15) without deteriorating hydraulic conditions. Said extension is also used in the form of a spacer in order to avoid that the suction head (16) adheres to a cardiac wall.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for treating heart failure, the apparatus including one or more propeller blades and a controller, which is configured to rotate the one or more propeller blades to produce continuous non-pulsatile blood flow not synchronized with a cardiac cycle of a subject. An intra-atrial anchor includes a stent surrounding the one or more propeller blades. The intra-atrial anchor is coupled to the one or more propeller blades and configured to be anchored in a left atrium of the subject so as to position the one or more propeller blades in the left atrium oriented such that the one or more propeller blades, when rotated by the controller, draw blood from the left atrium and expel the blood in the left atrium toward a mitral valve, thereby increasing atrial pressure above the mitral valve. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A glass wafer has an internal surface and an opposing external surface separated by a wafer thickness. A hermetic, electrically conductive feedthrough extends through the wafer from the internal surface to the opposing external surface. The feedthrough includes a feedthrough member having an inner face exposed along the internal surface for electrically coupling to an electrical circuit. The feedthrough member extends from the inner face partially through the wafer thickness to an exteriorly-facing outer face hermetically embedded within the wafer.

Abstract: Multi-modal, portable, handheld devices for tissue assessment (e.g., wound assessment) are provided, as are methods of fabricating and methods of using the same. The devices can be used for virtual medicine (VM)-based wound management, such as VM-based diabetic foot triage (DFT) and management. The device can be used to take physiological measurements of temperature and/or tissue oxygenation of a wound to assess the wound, for example in a remote setting environment. The device can also be used to provide therapy for tissue repair and/or wound healing, apart from the multi-modal imaging of the tissue surface of the patient. For example, light therapy, such as low-level light therapy (LLLT) can be provided via one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or laser diodes.

Abstract: A low-profile intercranial device including a low-profile static cranial implant and a functional neurosurgical implant. The low-profile static cranial implant and the functional neurosurgical implant are virtually designed and interdigitated prior to physical assembly of the low-profile intercranial device.

Abstract: Diastolic function may be assessed by operating one or more machine-learned computational models on electrocardiograms or electrocardiogram-derived features to compute quantitative diastolic indicators, including estimates of echocardiography parameters conventionally measured by echocardiography. In various embodiments, parameters derived from time-frequency transforms of the electrocardiograms are used as input to the model(s) and/or computed within the model(s).

Abstract: A method for determining cardiac tissue health based on a depolarization wave within an EGM is disclosed. The method includes computing a first derivative with respect to time (DV/DT) of the EGM, determining extrema for the first derivative, establishing a value DV/DTMIN based on the extrema and mapping the value DV/DTMIN to cardiac tissue.

Abstract: Wires and coils within an electrode assembly electromagnetically interact and cause mechanical motion of the assembly. This mechanical motion can be used to supplement or replace the electrical stimulation provided by a standard cochlear implant and provides targeted acoustic stimulation to the cochlea.

Abstract: A bilateral hearing implant system has a left side and a right side. Left and right side filter bank pre-processors preprocess left and right microphone signals to generate band pass signals for each side. A bilateral signal processing arrangement processes the band pass signals in a time sequence of stimulation frames. The signal processing module includes a bilateral channel selection module synchronously selects for each stimulation frame a set of stimulation channels for each side based on spectral content of the band pass signals. Left and right side signal processing submodules process for each stimulation frame a limited subset of each side band pass signals corresponding to the selected stimulation channels to generate electrical stimulation signals.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus and a computer program for noninvasively determining a cause of a blood pressure change. The method includes at least: obtaining maximum amplitudes of heart sounds; monitoring changes in the maximum amplitudes; estimating change amounts of indexes on a myocardial contractile force and on vascular resistance, based on increasing or decreasing of a blood pressure of the patient, and the changes in the maximum amplitudes; and determining the cause of the blood pressure change of the patient as an effect of at least one of alpha action, alpha blockage, beta action and beta blockage, based on results of the estimation of the first change amount of the first index, the second change amount of the second index and the third change amount of the third index.

Abstract: A durable nerve cuff electrode for achieving block of an action potential in a large diameter nerve.

Abstract: Techniques for therapy delivery are described. A processing circuit may adjust a first therapy parameter from a first level to a second level, and responsive to the adjustment of the first therapy parameter, compare a level of an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) generated from therapy delivery based on the adjusted first therapy parameter to an ECAP threshold. The processing circuit may adjust a second therapy parameter from a third level to a fourth level based on the comparison. The second therapy parameter is different than the first therapy parameter. The processing circuit may cause therapy delivery with the first therapy parameter at the second level and the second therapy parameter at the fourth level.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein. For example, a plurality of analog sensor signals and an analog reference signal are received by an analog-to-digital converter to produce respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are digital filtered to produce respective filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are output to a visualization system to provide real time display thereof. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are communicated to a digital-to-analog converter to produce an analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals along with the analog reference signal are output to a recordation system to provide supplemental processing and storage thereof.

Abstract: A method for evaluating heart function, comprising receiving a digitized cardiac signal, computing a power spectral density (PSD) or multiscale entropy (MSE) of the digitized cardiac signal, and evaluating heart function based on the PSD or MSE is provided. Systems and computer program products for doing same are also provided.

Abstract: A method for treating chronic nociceptive pain of knee osteoarthritis comprising the steps of: placing a first set of electrodes in contact with the skin on the inner side of the knee on the path of the infrapatellar nerve; and generating a first electrical signal with a signal generator and applying said first signal to the first set of electrodes so as to produce external, i.e. non invasive, electrostimulation of the infrapatellar nerve of the knee.

Abstract: Leadless, implantable microstimulators for treating chronic inflammation. These devices can include a static magnetic field detector (e.g., non-Hall effect sensors/detectors, including those based on a Wiegand effect or generating pulses at a predetermined frequency range and using a detection circuit to determine the decay rate of the pulses), to trigger an emergency shut off of the micro stimulator. Also described are methods and apparatuses for regulating the temperature of an implant based applied power from a charger (e.g., voltage across the charger when unloaded and when loaded by the implant) to yield a power control loop correlated with the power drawn by the implant to determine temperature of the implant. A negotiation protocol can exchange data between the charger and the implant (e.g., type of charger, type of implant, nature of the coupling between the two, etc.) to set target power control loop parameters to estimate and regulate implant temperature.

Abstract: Methods for treating a subject for a dermatological condition are provided. Aspects of the invention include administering an effective amount of a neuromodulatory agent to a subject to treat the subject for the dermatological condition. Also provided are compositions, kits and systems for practicing the subject methods.