Patents Examined by Tammie K. Heller
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Patent number: 8768474Abstract: A method of electro-therapeutic stimulation uses an electrical signal with a periodic-exponential background pulse over a controllable periodic-exponential main pulse. By properly setting the signal and moving electrodes to proper locations on the body, the signal is used to electro-therapeutically mimic a cross-crawl pattern and return a patient to a state of neurological balance, to identify specific cellular disruption locations, to treat the identified cellular disruption locations including performing a pain associated movement, and to neurologically train from a facilitator muscle to one or more receiver muscles.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2010Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: ARP Wave LLCInventors: Denis E. Thompson, Franklin Williard Schroeder, Jr.
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Patent number: 8755883Abstract: A system, method, or device monitor a force-frequency relationship exhibited by a patient's heart. A contractility characteristic, such as a heart sound characteristic of an S1 heart sound, is measured. The contractility characteristic indicates the forcefulness of a contraction of the heart. The frequency at which the heart is contracting is determined. A group of (contractility characteristic, heart rate) pairs is stored in a memory device. The group of pairs defines a force-frequency relationship for the heart. The method may be implemented by an implantable device, or by a system including a implantable device.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2009Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.Inventors: Ramesh Wariar, Gerrard M. Carlson
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Patent number: 8750971Abstract: A heart monitoring system for a patient includes an 802 protocol transmitter; an 802 protocol receiver adapted to communicate with the 802 transmitter, the 802 protocol transmitter and receiver forming a Doppler radar to detect heartbeat motion on a chest; and an analyzer connected to one of the transmitter and receiver. The analyzer calibrates a Doppler radar signal with an actual blood pressure during a training phase to develop a model. The analyzer is configured to use the model with the Doppler radar signal during an operational phase to estimate blood pressure.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2007Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Inventor: Bao Tran
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Patent number: 8744561Abstract: A data collection system collects and stores physiological data from an ambulatory patient at a high resolution and/or a high data rate (“more detailed data”) and sends a low-resolution and/or downsampled version of the data (“less detailed data”) to a remote server via a wireless network. The server automatically analyzes the less detailed data to detect an anomaly, such as an arrhythmia. A two-tiered analysis scheme is used, where the first tier is more sensitive and less specific than the second tier. If the more sensitive analysis detects or suspects the anomaly, the server signals the data collector to send more detailed data that corresponds to a time period associated with the anomaly. The more specific second tier analyses the more detailed data to verify the anomaly. The server may also store the received data and make it available to a user, such as via a graphical or tabular display.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2013Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: InfoBionic, Inc.Inventor: Michael Fahey
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Patent number: 8744548Abstract: A lead including one or more electrodes having circuitry associated therewith. Each such electrode includes a circuit extending along and conforming to at least a portion of an inner surface of the electrode. The circuit includes an isolation substrate contacting at least a portion of the inner surface of the cylindrical electrode portion, a first contact electrically isolated from the electrode portion by the isolation substrate and an integrated circuit electrically coupled to the first contact and the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2010Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Rogier Receveur, Jean Joseph Gerardus Rutten, Karel F. A. A. Smits, Nicolaas M Lokhoff, Sylvia Weijzen-Engels, Didier Billy, Tim Dirk Jan Jongen, Lilian Kornet
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Patent number: 8744587Abstract: A medical device delivers a therapy to a patient. The medical device or another device may periodically determine an activity level or gait parameter of the patient, and associate each determined level or parameter with a current therapy parameter set. A value of at least one activity metric is determined for each of a plurality of therapy parameter sets based on the activity levels or parameters associated with that therapy parameter set. Whether the patient is currently experiencing or anticipated to experience gait freeze caused by their neurological disorder, such as Parkinson's disease, may also be determined. Gait freeze events may be associated with current therapy parameters and used to determine activity metric values. In some examples, the activity metric associated with certain therapy parameters may be presented to a user.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2007Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Keith A. Miesel, Kenneth T. Heruth, Gregory F. Molnar
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Patent number: 8738131Abstract: A system and method for monitoring at least one chamber of a heart (e.g., a left ventricular chamber) during delivery of extrasystolic stimulation to determine if the desired extra-systole (i.e., ventricular mechanical capture following refractory period expiration) occurs. The system includes an implantable or external cardiac stimulation device in association with a set of leads such as epicardial, endocardial, and/or coronary sinus leads equipped with motion sensor(s). The device receives and processes acceleration sensor signals to determine a signal characteristic indicative of chamber capture resulting from one or more pacing stimulus delivered closely following expiration of the refractory period.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2007Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Edward Chinchoy, Michael F. Hess
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Patent number: 8731667Abstract: Cardiac therapy systems include multiple electrodes respectively positionable at multiple left ventricular electrode sites. A pulse generator is coupled to the electrodes and configured to deliver a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). A processor is configured to measure, for each left ventricular electrode site, a timing interval between first and second cardiac signal features associated with left ventricular depolarization. The timing interval is associated with a degree of responsiveness of each left ventricular electrode site to CRT. The processor is configured to determine a pacing output configuration that provides improved patient responsiveness to CRT based on the timing interval measurements and to select at least one left ventricular electrode site from the plurality of left ventricular electrode sites based on the timing interval measurements. The processor may be configured to monitor for a change in hemodynamic status of the patient based on a change in the timing interval.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2011Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.Inventors: Barun Maskara, Yinghong Yu
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Patent number: 8725266Abstract: An improved method for stimulating electrical activity in an eye is provided. Provided is a technique for implanting small, nanometer-sized photoactive devices into an eye to improve electrical activity within an eye or mitigate degradation of electrical response in damaged eyes.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporateInventors: Jeffrey Olson, Naresh Mandava
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Patent number: 8718791Abstract: Apparatus is provided for application to a nerve of a subject, including an electrode cuff, which includes a housing, which is configured to be placed at least partially around the nerve so as to define an inner surface of the housing that faces the nerve. A plurality of insulating elements are coupled to the inner surface of the housing at respective insulating element longitudinal positions along the housing, such that the inner surface of the housing and pairs of the insulating elements define one or more respective cavities at respective cavity longitudinal positions along the housing. One or more electrodes are fixed to the housing in fewer than all of the cavities, such that at least one of the cavities is an empty cavity that does not have an electrode positioned therein. Other embodiments are also described.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2010Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Bio Control Medical (B.C.M.) Ltd.Inventors: Tamir Ben-David, Shai Ayal, Ehud Cohen
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Patent number: 8718751Abstract: A heart monitoring system comprises a ventricular sensing stage sensing excitation or contraction of ventricular myocardium, an activity sensor unit determining a signal reflecting a patient's physical activity, a ventricular impedance or conductance measuring module, said modules comprising a current source unit adapted to provide a sub-threshold excitation current to the myocardium and comprising an impedance or conductance measurement unit for measuring the resulting voltage on said electrode at the myocardium, a signal generator module, a filter module, a memory, a control unit adapted to derive single measures |?Z| of magnitude of impedance or conductance change over a preset sample time interval, determine the variability TARVI in the impedance or conductance change, compare this variability and the activity sensor output signal with a threshold and recent history, determine if sleep disturbed breathing (SDB) is present, and log the SDB episode in the memory device.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2007Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: BIOTRONIK CRM Patent AGInventors: David F. Hastings, Xin Good, Hannes Kraetschmer, Dirk Muessig
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Patent number: 8712552Abstract: The present application includes treatment systems having delivery-activated inflatable members, and associated systems and methods for treating the spinal cord and other tissues. A treatment system in accordance with one embodiment includes a lead body having an opening, an inner surface position around the opening, and an inflatable member carried by the lead body, with at least one of the inflatable member and the lead body including a frangible portion accessible from the opening. The inflatable member can have an expandable interior volume bounded at least in part by the frangible portion. The system can further include a delivery device received in the opening of the lead body and positioned to open a passage through the frangible portions between the interior volume of the inflatable member and the opening of the lead body when the delivery device is removed from the opening of the lead body.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Nevro CorporationInventors: C. Lance Boling, James Makous
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Patent number: 8712547Abstract: An implantable stimulation device includes a device body; at least one set of partitioned electrodes disposed on a portion of the device body and configured and arranged for application of electrical stimulation to adjacent tissue; and insulating material separating the partitioned electrodes from each other. Each set of partitioned electrodes includes a plurality of partitioned electrodes disposed around a circumference of the device body. The implantable stimulation device can be configured and arranged so that each of the partitioned electrodes is independently programmable.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation CorporationInventors: Todd K. Whitehurst, James P. McGivern, Rafael Carbunaru, Matthew I. Haller, Tom Xiaohai He, Kerry Bradley
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Patent number: 8712551Abstract: A probe including at its distal extremity a tubular flexible sheath core supporting at least a winding forming a shock electrode and connected to an electrical conductor of connection extending in an internal lumen of the sheath core. In one embodiment of the invention, the sheath core extends axially without a solution of continuity in the area supporting the winding. In particular, the sheath core comprises cavities to receive and hold conducting inserts, of homologous size with cavities formed locally close to the ends of the winding, the insert being connected to the interior side to the electrical conductor, and on the external side to the corresponding extremity of winding. A longitudinal slit connects two cavities and allows, by elastic deformation of the sheath core, the introduction into the cavities and in the internal lumen of the unit formed by the final extremity of the electrical conductor beforehand equipped with its two inserts.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Sorin CRM SASInventors: Jean-Francois Ollivier, Frederic Bessoule
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Patent number: 8700172Abstract: A medical device is capable of utilizing a pervasive wireless communications network, such as a digital wireless telephone network, personal communication services network or pager network, to directly communicate with a host computer without the need for a repeater device. The device includes a sensor capable of measuring a body characteristic, such as temperature or electrical cardiac activity, and generates clinical data describing the measurement. The device also includes a wireless transmitter/receiver unit capable of establishing a communications link with a host computer over the long-range wireless network. The wireless transmitter/receiver unit is capable of delivering the measured clinical data to the host computer over the wireless network. The wireless transmitter/receiver unit can also periodically deliver status information regarding the operation of the implantable device to the host computer.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2008Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Cardiac PacemakersInventors: Scott T. Mazar, Yatheendhar D. Manicka
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Patent number: 8700155Abstract: An implantable medical device (IMD) having a therapy circuit for delivering atrial pacing and a control circuit for detecting a return to sinus rhythm. The control circuit determines the duration of an atrial arrhythmia preceding the return to sinus rhythm, and controls the therapy circuit to deliver transient atrial pacing based on the atrial arrhythmia duration.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2005Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Douglas A. Hettrick, David E. Euler
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Patent number: 8694115Abstract: A programming device used to program delivery of therapy to a patient by a medical device, such as an implantable neurostimulator or pump, maintains or accesses a programming history for the patient. The programming history may take the form of a record of programs, e.g., combinations of therapy parameters, tested during one or more prior programming sessions. The programming device may analyze, or otherwise use the programming history to provide guidance information to a user, such as a clinician, which may assist the user in more quickly identifying one or more desirable programs during a current programming session.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2005Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Steven M. Goetz, Michael T. Lee
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Patent number: 8688189Abstract: The invention provides a disposable programmable ECG sensor patch for the non-invasive detection of risk patterns according to programmed criteria. The patch is programmed by a medical professional to select one or more monitoring parameters for detection and alarm indication. One application is to detect changes in the ECG due to cardioactive drugs. Another application is triggering an alarm for a cardiac patient during a stress condition. The programmable patch operates in conjunction with an external programming unit for selecting the detection monitoring parameters.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2005Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Inventor: Adnan Shennib
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Patent number: 8682432Abstract: Provided is a cardiac-event processor (1) including a storing unit (11) that stores a time history of cardiac events, including heartbeats, in association with the presence/absence of nerve stimulation; a heart rate calculator (12) that calculates a heart rate for when each heartbeat is detected, on the basis of the time history of the cardiac events stored in the storing unit (11); and a frequency data generator (13) that separately adds up frequencies of the heart rates calculated by the heart rate calculator (12) for the cases with and without the nerve stimulation.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2010Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiichiro Nakajima
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Patent number: 8676335Abstract: An apparatus comprises a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with an IMD and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to detect an error in a data unit received from the IMD, transmit a series of synchronization signals during an uninterrupted communication sequence, and receive, for each synchronization signal, a new data unit and the number of requested duplicate data units from the IMD. Each synchronization signal includes an echo code, wherein the echo code corresponds to a request for a number of duplicate data units to be sent in response to detecting the error in the data unit received during said uninterrupted communication sequence. The number of duplicate data units corresponds to a value of the echo code, and a duplicate data unit corresponds to a data unit previously transmitted by the IMD during said uninterrupted communication sequence.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2008Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.Inventors: Mehdi Katoozi, Kenneth F. Cowan, Thomas M. Bocek, Mark Rutzer, Scott Vanderlinde, Prashant Rawat