Patents Examined by Scott Getzow
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Patent number: 9855437Abstract: Methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer and communications are provided. In one embodiment, a resonator of a wireless power transfer system comprises a plurality of links connected to another with hinges to form a coil housing, the coil housing being adjustable at the hinges to conform to a body of a patient, and a flexible conductor wire attached to the coil housing, the flexible conductor wire being configured to transmit or receive wireless power. The resonator can be infinitely adjusted at the hinges to conform the shape of the resonator to a patient's body. In some embodiments, a locking mechanism can be configured to lock the resonator into a preferred position.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2014Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: TC1 LLCInventors: John Duc Nguyen, Carine Hoarau, Stephen Zimmermann
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Patent number: 9849286Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for applying extremely low duty-cycle stimulation sufficient to treat chronic inflammation using feedback to adjust the off times between stimulations. In particular, the feedback include an assessment of the level of inflammation by the patient or the healthcare provider, or by measure the level of an inflammatory analyte or biomarker, or by detecting nerve activity correlated with inflammation.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: SetPoint Medical CorporationInventors: Jacob A. Levine, Michael A. Faltys
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Patent number: 9848825Abstract: A wearable sensing band is presented that generally provides a non-intrusive way to measure a person's cardiovascular vital signs including pulse transit time and pulse wave velocity. The band includes a strap with one or more primary electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes which are in contact with a first portion of the user's body, one or more secondary ECG electrodes, and one or more pulse pressure wave arrival (PPWA) sensors. The primary and secondary ECG electrodes detect an ECG signal whenever the secondary ECG electrodes make electrical contact with the second portion of the user's body, and the PPWA sensors sense an arrival of a pulse pressure wave to the first portion of the user's body from the user's heart. The ECG signal and PPWA sensor(s) readings are used to compute at least one of a pulse transit time (PTT) or a pulse wave velocity (PWV) of the user.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2014Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Dan Morris, T. Scott Saponas, Nicolas Villar, Shwetak Patel, Greg R. Smith, Desney Tan
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Patent number: 9844666Abstract: A system for retaining a magnet in a cochlear implant, comprising a retainer embedded within an encapsulant of the cochlear implant, and a magnet case engaged with the retainer. A retainer for retaining a magnet within a cochlear implant comprising a number of first fasteners that couple with a number of corresponding second fasteners of a magnet case hermetically sealing the magnet, and a number of supports embedded within an encapsulant of the cochlear implant.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: Advanced Bionics AGInventors: Chuladatta Thenuwara, Mark B. Downing
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Patent number: 9837934Abstract: Disclosed is a fibrous triboelectric generator. The fibrous triboelectric includes a first textile; a first electrode layer that is formed on a surface of the first textile; a friction layer that is formed on a surface of the first electrode layer and is able to be electrically charged by friction; and a second electrode layer that is able to undergo friction with the friction layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan UniversityInventors: Sang-Woo Kim, Ju-Hyuck Lee, Wanchul Seung, Hanjun Ryu, Hong-Joon Yoon, Keun Young Lee
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Patent number: 9833620Abstract: An implantable processor arrangement is described for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) system implanted under the skin of a patient. An implantable communications coil arrangement is configured for transdermal transfer of an implant communications signal. An implantable processor is coupled to and controls the implantable communications coil arrangement so as to operate in two different communications modes. In a normal operation mode, the processor configures the communications coil arrangement for peridermal communication with an external communications coil placed on the skin of the patient immediately over the implantable communications coil arrangement. In a long range telemetry mode, the processor configures the communications coil arrangement for extradermal communication with an external telemetry coil located distant from the skin of the patient immediately over the implantable communications coil arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2014Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Jürgen Wissenwasser, Andreas Mitterer
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Patent number: 9827419Abstract: Neurostimulation assemblies, systems, and methods make possible the providing of short-term therapy or diagnostic testing by providing electrical connections between muscles and/or nerves inside the body and stimulus generators and/or recording instruments mounted on the surface of the skin or carried outside the body. The assembly affords maximum patient mobility and comfort through differentiated components having minimal profiles and connected by way of detachable and adjustable connections.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: SPR Therapeutics, LLCInventors: Joseph W. Boggs, II, Robert B. Strother, Kathryn W. Stager, Jonathan L. Sakai, Amorn Wongsarnpigoon, Matthew deBock, Devin Sell, Meredith McGee
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Patent number: 9821158Abstract: A method of treating a metabolic condition in a patient, comprising: determining a target non-immediate effect of a therapy relating to treatment of a metabolic condition; and applying an electric field to an abdominal cavity of the patient in a manner designed to at least approach said target.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2015Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: MetaCure LimitedInventors: Benny Rousso, Tamar Harel
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Patent number: 9801549Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for finding a functional tissue area in a tissue region. The apparatus has a measurement illuminating device suitable for emitting measurement illumination to the tissue region and a camera which can capture light reflected by the tissue region. The camera has a green channel and/or a blue channel wherein there is a change in an optical property of the light reflected by the tissue region during the stimulation thereof which is undertaken at least intermittently. An evaluation unit captures the change in the optical property only by a signal of the green channel and/or of the blue channel of the camera. A display unit can display an output signal of the evaluation unit for the functional tissue area in the tissue region.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2015Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignees: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Technische Universitaet Dresden Institut fuer Biomedizinische Technik, Technische Universitaet Dresden Klinik und Poliklinik fuer NeurochirurgieInventors: Gerald Panitz, Christoph Hauger, Marco Wilzbach, Roland Guckler, Tobias Meyer, Martin Oelschlaegel, Ute Morgenstern, Stephan B. Sobottka, Gabriele Schackert
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Patent number: 9788756Abstract: Techniques facilitating locating an implantable medical device (IMD) within a body of a patient are provided. An estimate of the location is determined based on strength information representative of strengths of communicative couplings between a communications head device and the IMD at various positions of the communications head device. The strength information can be updated periodically or based on specific events, such as changes to the body and/or an amount of time elapsed since strength information was previously obtained. Media representative of the estimate of the location and an image of the body can be output and can facilitate a patient or caregiver locating the IMD. In some embodiments, the media and image output can guide future placement of the communications head device on the patient to efficiently establish communication. Further, in some embodiments, numerous IMDs implanted within a single body can be identified and communication can commence.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventor: Wade M. Demmer
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Patent number: 9770285Abstract: An electrosurgical apparatus including an automatic applicator identifier used to communicate between an applicator and a generator unit, automatically presetting various values, is provided. These values may be stored in a one-wire serial memory storage device located in the applicator or connector coupled to the applicator. Communication from the applicator to the generator unit of these values is affected by a one-wire serial communication protocol. This information can be transferred over a direct electrical path through the connector that attaches that applicator to the generator unit, or instead by a wireless link.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2015Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Bovie Medical CorporationInventors: Arik Zoran, Gregory A. Konesky
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Patent number: 9764152Abstract: The implantable cardiac treatment system of the present invention is capable of choosing the most appropriate electrode vector to sense within a particular patient. In certain embodiments, the implantable cardiac treatment system determines the most appropriate electrode vector for continuous sensing based on which electrode vector results in the greatest signal amplitude, or some other useful metric such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The electrode vector possessing the highest quality as measured using the metric is then set as the default electrode vector for sensing. Additionally, in certain embodiments of the present invention, a next alternative electrode vector is selected based on being generally orthogonal to the default electrode vector. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the next alternative electrode vector is selected based on possessing the next highest quality metric after the default electrode vector.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Cameron Health, Inc.Inventors: Jay A. Warren, Gust H. Bardy
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Patent number: 9757562Abstract: A method, including obtaining data indicative of an ability of a recipient of a hearing prosthesis to discriminate between tokens of respective token pairs of a plurality of token pairs in respective evoked hearing percepts induced by the hearing prosthesis and adjusting one or more but less than all frequency channels of a plurality of frequency channels of the hearing prosthesis based on the obtained data.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Cochlear LimitedInventor: Filiep J. Vanpoucke
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Patent number: 9757563Abstract: The present invention is a method of improving the persistence of electrical neural stimulation, and specifically a method of improving the persistence of an image supplied to a retina, or visual cortex, through a visual prosthesis. A continuously stimulated retina, or other neural tissue, will desensitize after a time period in the range of 20 to 150 seconds. However, an interruption of the stimulation on the order of a few milliseconds will restore the retinal sensitivity without the user perceiving the interruption, or with the user barely perceiving the interruption.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2015Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.Inventors: Arup Roy, Robert Greenberg, Mark Humayan, Kelly McClure
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Patent number: 9750939Abstract: An example of a system for delivering neurostimulation may include a programming control circuit and a user interface. The programming control circuit may be configured to generate stimulation parameters controlling delivery of neurostimulation pulses according to one or more stimulation waveforms associated with areas of stimulation each defined by a set of electrodes. The neurostimulation pulses are each delivered to an area of stimulation. The user interface may include a display screen and an interface control circuit. The interface control circuit may be configured to define the one or more stimulation waveforms and the areas of stimulation, and may include a stimulation frequency module configured to display a stimulation rate table on the display screen. The stimulation rate table may present stimulation frequencies associated with each of the areas of stimulation for selection by a user.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation CorporationInventors: Stephen Carcieri, Michael A. Moffitt, Peter J. Yoo, Dennis Allen Vansickle, Sridhar Kothandaraman, Michael Andrew Caruso, Dean Chen
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Patent number: 9750860Abstract: The invention relates to a motor with a stator (2, 2?) and a rotor (1, 1?), which can be driven about an axial direction (4). The invention is characterized in that at least one of the stator and the rotor, in particular the stator, which has a winding arrangement that can be supplied with a current, can be radially compressed and expanded.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: ECP ENTWICKLUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHInventor: Joerg Schumacher
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Patent number: 9750415Abstract: A system uses continuous tracking of sleep activity and heart rate activity to evaluate heart rate variability immediately before transitioning to an awake state, e.g., at the end of the last phase of deep sleep. In particular, a wearable, continuous physiological monitoring system as described herein includes one or more sensors to detect sleep states, the transitions between sleep states, and the transitions from a sleep state to an awake state for a user. This information can be used in conjunction with continuously monitored heart rate data to calculate heart rate variability of the user at the end of the last phase of sleep preceding the user waking up. By using the history of heart rate data in conjunction with sleep activity in this manner, an accurate and consistent recovery score can be calculated based on heart rate variability.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Whoop, Inc.Inventors: Emily Rachel Breslow, John Capodilupo, William Ahmed
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Patent number: 9750424Abstract: A method for quantifying, during pacemapping, a comparison of a BSPM of interest to a pace site BSPM. The method may include receiving at a computing device a plurality of ECG signals from an acquisition system. The pace site BSPM may be calculated using the plurality of ECG signals. The BSPM of interest may be compared to the pace site BSPM, by: retrieving the BSPM of interest from memory accessible by the computing device; and, calculating one or more comparison metrics for the BSPM of interest as compared to the pace site BSPM. An indication of similarity between the BSPM of interest and the pace site BSPM based on the comparison metric calculated may be displayed on a user interface in communication with the computing device.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYInventors: John Lewis Sapp, Jr., Bohumil Milan Horacek
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Patent number: 9750946Abstract: A method of evaluating an implantation of a lead is disclosed. Via a graphical user interface of an electronic device, a visual representation of a sacrum of the patient and a lead that is implanted in the sacrum is displayed. The lead includes a plurality of electrode contacts. An evaluation is made as to how well the lead has been implanted in the sacrum based on the visual representation of the sacrum and the lead. The evaluating comprises: determining whether the lead is inserted in a predetermined region of the sacrum, determining how far a predetermined one of the electrode contacts is located from an edge of the sacrum, and determining a degree of curvature of the lead.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: NUVECTRA CORPORATIONInventors: Norbert Kaula, Yohannes Iyassu, Steven Siegel
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Patent number: 9744352Abstract: Various examples provide devices, systems, and techniques for dissipating electromagnetic interference (EMI) induced energy in a medical device. In one example, an implantable electronic device includes a housing, at least one connector coupled to the housing and configured to at least one of receive first electrical signals or transmit second electrical signals, and an integrated circuit disposed within the housing, wherein the integrated circuit comprises at least one clamp stage coupled to a supply line of the integrated circuit, and wherein the at least one clamp stage is configured to dissipate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) induced energy from the supply line in response to at least one of a voltage or a current on the supply line exceeding a respective predetermined voltage threshold value or a current threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Medtronic Bakken Research Center B.V.Inventors: Jeroen Jacob Arnold Tol, Egbertus Johannes Maria Bakker