Abstract: A vented set screw is used to secure a connection between an implantable medical device and an implantable lead. The vented set screw includes one or more venting channels that allow liquid and/or gas to flow out of the implantable medical device when the implantable lead is being inserted into the implantable medical device and secured during an implantation procedure. This prevents pressure from building up at the connection, thereby ensuring proper performance of sensing and/or therapy delivery functions of the implantable medical device.

Abstract: A subcutaneously implantable cardiac medical device and a method of sensing a cardiac signal therein that includes a plurality of electrodes to sense a cardiac signal along a plurality of sensing vectors to detect a first interval and a second interval associated with a first detected event, and a processor configured to determine whether the first interval and the second interval are shorter than a predetermined threshold, determine whether the first interval and the second interval are similar, and determine, in response to the first interval and the second interval being similar, whether the sensed cardiac signal is either a noisy signal or a QRS signal.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an automated external defibrillator is configured to deliver one or both of electrical pulses and shocks to a heart of a patient during a cardiac emergency. The defibrillator includes a defibrillator electrode delivery system and a hydrating system. The defibrillator electrode delivery system includes a pair of defibrillation electrode pads. Each pad supports a hydrogel to facilitate the deliverance of one or both of electrical pulses and shocks to a patient. The hydrating system includes a fluid container that maintains a fluid that hydrates the hydrogel over a predetermined time period to prolong the effectiveness of the hydrogel.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a low-power circuit and a multi-cell power source. The cells of the power source are coupled in a parallel configuration. The implantable medical device includes both a low power circuit and a high power circuit that are coupled between the first and second cells. An isolation circuit is coupled to the first cell and the second cell in a safe parallel orientation and the first and second cells are configured in a first configuration to deliver energy to the low power circuit segment and in a second configuration that is different from the first configuration to deliver energy to the high power circuit segment. A monitoring circuit is coupled to the power source and operable to evaluate the first cell and the second cell to detect a fault condition associated with at least one of the first and second cells.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a low-power circuit and a multi-cell power source. The cells of the power source are coupled in a parallel configuration. The implantable medical device includes both a low power circuit that is selectively coupled between the first and second cells and a high power output circuit that is directly coupled to the first and second cells in a parallel configuration. An isolation circuit is coupled to the first cell, the second cell and the low power circuit to maintain a current isolation between the first cell and the second cell at least during delivery of current having a large magnitude to the high power output circuit.

Abstract: A patient monitoring device includes reusable and disposable portions. The disposable portion includes two or more electrodes for coupling to the skin of the patient, a battery, and a first set of electrical contacts. The reusable portion includes a processor, memory, a second set of electrical contacts, and sensing circuitry coupled to the at least two electrodes, wherein the reusable portion is mechanically coupleable to the disposable portion and wherein the reusable portion is electrically coupleable to the disposable portion through the first and second electrical contacts. The sensing circuitry and the processor are powered from the battery through the coupled first and second electrical contacts, and wherein when the reusable portion and the disposable portion are mechanically uncoupled after having been mechanically coupled, the disposable portion is rendered unusable by the process of mechanically uncoupling the reusable portion and the disposable portion.

Abstract: A programming system allows a user to program therapy parameter values for therapy delivered by a medical device by specifying a desired therapeutic outcome. In an example, the programming system presents a model of a brain network associated with a patient condition to the user. The model may be a graphical representation of a network of anatomical structures of the brain associated with the patient condition and may indicate the functional relationship between the anatomical structures. Using the model, the user may define a desired therapeutic outcome associated with the condition, and adjust excitatory and/or inhibitory effects of the stimulation on the anatomical structures. The system may determine therapy parameter values for therapy delivered to the patient based on the user input.

Abstract: An external defibrillator comprising: a unit for providing electrical stimulation of a patient; a battery module that includes: a battery housing; a plurality of battery banks within the housing, each of the battery banks being electrically isolated from each of the other battery banks within the housing and having a total lithium content of less than an amount requiring special handling procedures during transportation and storage; and a plurality of pairs of electrical contacts external to the housing, each of the pairs of electrical contacts being configured to provide an electrical connection to an associated battery bank; and a connector unit external to the battery housing that includes: a plurality of pairs of electrical contacts configured to mate with the plurality of pairs of electrical contacts of the battery module; and circuitry electrically connecting the plurality of pairs of electrical contacts of the connector unit to provide a single voltage output to the unit for providing electrical stimul

Abstract: A method of locating a tip of a central venous catheter (“CVC”) having a distal and proximal pair of electrodes disposed within the superior vena cava, right atrium, and/or right ventricle. The method includes obtaining a distal and proximal electrical signal from the distal and proximal pair of electrodes and using those signals to generate a distal and proximal P wave, respectively. A deflection value is determined for each of the P waves. A ratio of the deflection values is then used to determine a location of the tip of the CVC. Optionally, the CVC may include a reference pair of electrodes disposed within the superior vena cava from which a reference deflection value may be obtained. A ratio of one of the other deflection values to the reference deflection value may be used to determine the location of the tip of the CVC.

Abstract: A computer-assisted stimulation programming of an implantable medical device is performed. A perception threshold is determined for a plurality of contacts on a lead configured to be implanted inside a patient. The perception threshold is determined by automatically performing a first sweep of the plurality of contacts and automatically performing a second sweep of a stimulation parameter. A paresthesia coverage provided by the plurality of contacts is determined by automatically performing a third sweep of the plurality of contacts and automatically performing a fourth sweep of the stimulation parameter. The fourth sweep is performed based on the determined perception thresholds. The first sweep, the second sweep, the third sweep, and the fourth sweep are performed without needing a manual input from a human user. A subset of the contacts corresponding to the paresthesia coverage is selected. In response to user input, stimulation programming is performed using the subset of contacts.

Abstract: A system and method to treat neural communication impairment is provided. The neural communication impairment is present in a neural pathway, which can be a cortico-neuromuscular pathway, an intra-brain neural pathway, or in a sensory-cortico pathway. A synchronized external stimulation is applied to a first point in proximity to a first neural component at one end of the neural pathway and to a second point in proximity to a second neural component at the other end of the neural pathway. Two induced neural handshake signals contemporaneously arrive at a neural communication impairment point in the neural pathway, triggering and stimulating a rehabilitation process by which the neural connection is permanently improved. The synchronized applied electrical signals applied to the first and second points may have an opposite polarity in dipolar neural stimulation, or may have identical polarity and waveform in in-phase neural stimulation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for determining sleep, sleep stage and/or sleep stage transition of a person, including heart rate detecting means configured for detecting a heart rate of the person, movement detecting means configured for detecting a movement of a part of the body of the person, where the detected movement is caused by a skeletal muscle of the body, recording means configured for recording the detected heart rate and the detected movement of the part of the body, heart rate classifying means configured for classifying the recorded heart rate of the person into at least one heart rate class at least one heart rate variability class, movement classifying means configured for classifying the recorded movement into at least one movement class, and determining means configured for determining sleep, a sleep stage, a sleep stage transition and/or a sleep event of the person based at least partially on the at least one heart rate class and the at least one movement class.

Abstract: An implantable pacemaker has a first housing and a second housing tethered to the first housing by an elongated electrical conductor. The elongated electrical conductor has a proximal end coupled to the first housing and a distal end coupled to the second housing and includes a signal line configured to carry an electrical signal between the first housing and the second housing.

Abstract: A signal processing arrangement is described for signal processing in a bilateral hearing implant system having left side and right side hearing implants. An interaural coherence analysis module analyzes system input signals to produce an interaural coherence signal output characterizing reverberation-related similarity of the input signals.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for displaying on a user display device alarm-triggering events detected by the medical device based on the location of the user display device. The method comprises receiving alarm-triggering patient data from a medical device and determining the physical location of first and second user display devices. The method further comprises determining that the physical location of the first user display device is designated to have an alarm displayed, and that the physical location of the second user display device is not designated to have an alarm displayed. In response to these determinations, the content of the alarm is displayed on the first user display device.

Abstract: A signal processing system is described for a bilateral hearing implant system having left side and right side hearing implants. An interaural coherence analysis module receives input signals from each hearing implant including sensing microphone signals and band pass signals, and analyzes the input signals to produce an interaural coherence signal output characterizing reverberation-related similarity of the input signals. A pulse timing and coding module for each hearing implant then processes the band pass signals to develop stimulation timing signals, wherein for one or more selected band pass signals, wherein the processing includes using an envelope gating function developed from the interaural coherence signal.

Abstract: An input sound signal is processed to generate band pass signals. Band pass envelope signals are extracted that reflect time varying amplitude of the band pass signals. Stimulation timing signals are generated that reflect the temporal fine structure features of the band pass signals. A key feature value present in the input sound signal or the band pass signals is monitored. For one or more selected band pass signals, a stimulation coding strategy is selected from multiple possible stimulation coding strategies based on the key feature value. The multiple possible stimulation coding strategies including an envelope-based stimulation coding strategy based on the band pass envelope signals, and an event-based stimulation coding strategy based on the stimulation timing signals. The selected stimulation coding strategy is used to produce the electrode stimulation signals for the electrode contacts.

Abstract: Described herein are polymer formulations for facilitating electrical stimulation of nasal or sinus tissue. The polymer formulations may be hydrogels that are prepared by a UV cross-linking process. The hydrogels may be included as a component of nasal stimulator devices that electrically stimulate the lacrimal gland to improve tear production and treat dry eye. Additionally, devices and methods for manufacturing the nasal stimulators, including shaping of the hydrogel, are described herein.

Abstract: A personal authentication apparatus includes a measuring circuit that measures a user electrocardiographic waveform using electrodes, a peak detector that detects peaks of first and second R waves and at least one of peaks of P and Q waves, and an acquirer. The acquirer expands/contracts a time interval between the peaks of the first and second R waves to a first time period and further (i) expands/contracts a time interval between the peaks of the first R wave and P wave to a second time period, (ii) expands/contracts a time interval between the peaks of the first R wave and Q wave to a third time period, or (iii) expands/contracts the time interval between the peaks of the first R wave and P wave to the second time period and expands/contracts the time interval between the peaks of the first R wave and Q wave to the third time period.

Abstract: Methods for systematically testing a plurality of therapy programs in a spinal cord modulation system, and associated systems are disclosed. A representative method comprises loading a plurality of therapy programs into a signal generator, wherein individual therapy programs include parameters specifying electrode configuration, signal amplitude, and/or signal frequency. The programs are automatically activated for an automatically instructed period of time. The method includes automatically changing from one therapy program to another after the instructed period of time. The patient is queried for patient input corresponding to the therapy programs. The patient input is received via a remote. The patient input is correlated with a corresponding time of day and recorded in the signal generator. Thereafter, the patient input is retrieved from the signal generator.