Abstract: A cannula for implantation into a chamber of a heart includes an elongate body having a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end. The first and second ends define openings into the lumen and the second end includes a flat portion. A flared tip portion extends from the flat portion of the second end in a direction toward the first end, and flares radially outward from the longitudinal axis and in such direction. A ring member extends around the axis of the elongate body and is spaced from the flared tip portion, and the ring member is adapted for retaining the elongate body in a position relative to a wall of the chamber. An embodiment of a flared tip portion may further include a barbed surface configured to contact tissue around an aperture in the wall of the heart when the cannula travels through the aperture.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a medical lead assembly that includes a lead body having a proximal end configured to couple to an implantable medical device and a distal end. The lead assembly further includes an electrode assembly located at the distal end of the lead body, the electrode assembly including a tip electrode, a conductive electrode shaft that is electrically coupled to the tip electrode and an energy dissipating structure that is coupled to at least a portion of the conductive electrode shaft at high frequencies to redirect at least a portion of the current induced in the lead by a high frequency signal from the tip electrode to the energy dissipating structure.

Abstract: A neurostimulation system provides for capture verification and stimulation intensity adjustment to ensure effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation in modulating one or more target functions in a patient. In various embodiments, stimulation is applied to the vagus nerve, and evoked responses are detected to verify that the stimulation captures the vagus nerve and to adjust one or more stimulation parameters that control the stimulation intensity.

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: A stimulation system, such as a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, having a programmer and a patient feedback device for establishing a protocol to treat a patient. The programmer uses a computer assisted stimulation programming procedure for establishing the protocol. Also described are methods of treating a patient with a spinal cord stimulation system including the programmer and the patient feedback device.

Abstract: A leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises a housing, a plurality of electrodes coupled to an outer surface of the housing, and a pulse delivery system hermetically contained within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrode plurality, the pulse delivery system configured for sourcing energy internal to the housing, generating and delivering electrical pulses to the electrode plurality. The pacemaker further comprises an activity sensor hermetically contained within the housing and adapted to sense activity and a processor hermetically contained within the housing and communicatively coupled to the pulse delivery system, the activity sensor, and the electrode plurality, the processor configured to control electrical pulse delivery at least partly based on the sensed activity.

Abstract: A medical electrical stimulator provides selective control of stimulation via a combination of two or more electrodes coupled to respective regulated current paths and one or more electrodes coupled to unregulated current paths. Constant current sources may control the current that is sourced or sunk via respective regulated current paths. An unregulated current path may sink or source current to and from an unregulated voltage source that serves as a reference voltage. Unregulated electrodes may function as unregulated anodes to source current from a reference voltage or unregulated cathodes to sink current to a reference voltage.

Abstract: A system for analyzing cardiac electrophysiological signals includes an acquisition processor for acquiring signal data representing heart electrical activity over multiple heart cycles. An individual heart cycle comprises a signal portion between successive sequential R waves. A time interval detector uses a signal peak detector for detecting multiple successive time intervals including individual time intervals comprising a time interval between a first peak occurring in a first heart cycle and a second peak occurring in at least one of, (a) a successive sequential second heart cycle and (b) a third heart cycle successive and sequential to the second heart cycle. A data processor processes the multiple detected successive time intervals by, determining at least one interval parameter of, a mean, variance and standard deviation of the time intervals and generating an alert message in response to the interval parameter.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for activating brown adipose tissue (BAT). Generally, the methods and devices can activate BAT to increase thermogenesis, e.g., increase heat production in the patient, which over time can lead to weight loss. In one embodiment, a medical device is provided that activates BAT by electrically stimulating nerves that activate the BAT and/or electrically stimulating brown adipocytes directly, thereby increasing thermogenesis in the BAT and inducing weight loss through energy expenditure.

Abstract: An implantable apparatus and method are provided for use in conjunction with an implantable neurostimulation signal generator that provides an electrical stimulation signal to an active electrode. In auditory stimulation applications, the apparatus includes at least one anchor member having a distal end portion for directly contacting a patient's cranial bone and an electrically conductive portion extending from the distal end portion to a contact location proximal to the distal end portion. An electrical connection line may be electrically interconnected at a first end to the contact location of the anchor member and electrically interconnected at a second end to an implantable auditory neurostimulation signal generator to define a reference electrode. A bracket member may be mounted to a patient's cranial bone utilizing the anchor member, wherein an electrically conductive pathway extends from a first contact location to a second contact location of the bracket member.

Abstract: A method is described for processing an electrical stimulation response measurement waveform signal measured in response to delivery of a selected electrical stimulation signal to neural tissue. The electrical stimulation response measurement waveform signal contains a stimulus artifact and one or more neuronal action potentials. The electrical stimulation signal is selected based on satisfying a cost function comparison between at least one stimulus artifact component and a plurality of known neuronal action potential waveforms. The electrical stimulation response waveform signal is then processed using a source separation algorithm to remove the stimulus artifact component.

Abstract: A device for stimulating living tissue or nerves by individual or repeated stimulating pulses via stimulating electrodes which stimulate living tissue or nerves by stimulating pulses includes an electrical circuit which regulates the electric voltage or charge on the stimulating electrodes as a function of the electric voltage between the stimulating electrodes and reduces or equalises imbalances of electric charges on the stimulating electrodes. This device is capable of equalizing the electric charge on the stimulating electrodes of a stimulation system. The device and the process for using the device have the advantage that imbalances of electric charges on the stimulating electrodes, and the associated disadvantageous effects on the tissue and on the nerves, are avoided or eliminated. Furthermore, the device has a small space requirement.

Abstract: An electrode lead of a pacemaker includes at least one lead wire including at least one composite conductive core. The at least one composite conductive core includes at least one conductive core and at least one carbon nanotube yarn spirally wound on an outer surface of the at least one conductive core. The at least one carbon nanotube yarn includes a number of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive forces. The pacemaker includes a pulse generator and the electrode lead electrically connected to the pulse generator.

Abstract: Implantable medical leads and implantable lead extensions include a shield. The implantable medical lead is coupled to the implantable lead extension. Stimulation electrodes of the implantable medical lead contact stimulation connectors within a housing of the implantable extension to establish a conductive pathway for stimulation signals from filars of the implantable extension to filars of the implantable medical lead. Continuity is established between the shield of the implantable medical lead and the implantable extension by providing a radio frequency conductive pathway within the housing. The radio frequency conductive pathway extends from a shield of the implantable extension to a shield connector that contacts a shield electrode of the implantable medical lead. The radio frequency conductive pathway may have various forms such as a jumper wire or an extension of the shield within the implantable extension.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing healthcare environments are provided. In embodiments, a first waveform tracing for data received from one or more medical devices for a first individual is displayed. A second waveform tracing for data received from one or more medical devices for a second individual is displayed. In response to the determination to hide the first waveform tracing, only displaying the second waveform tracing.

Abstract: Described herein are implantable systems and devices, and methods for use therewith, that can be used to perform arrhythmia discrimination. A plurality of different sensing vectors are used to obtain a plurality of different IEGMs, each of which is indicative of cardiac electrical activity at a different ventricular region. The plurality of different IEGMs can include, e.g., an IEGM indicative of cardiac electrical activity at a first region of the patient's left ventricular (LV) chamber and an IEGM indicative of cardiac electrical activity at a second region of the patient's LV chamber. Additionally, the plurality of different IEGMs can further include an IEGM indicative of cardiac electrical activity at a region of a patient's right ventricular (RV) chamber. For each of the IEGMs, there is a determination of a corresponding localized R-R interval stability metric indicative of the R-R interval stability at the corresponding ventricular region. This can include, e.g.

Abstract: A system for assisting the right heart of a patient includes a PA cannula adapted for insertion into a PA of a patient through the right internal jugular vein of the patient. The system includes a percutaneous RA cannula adapted for insertion into an RA of the patient. The system includes a blood pump disposed outside of the patient to which the RA cannula and the PA cannula are connected to provide right ventricular circulatory support to the patient without any left ventricular assist. A method for assisting the right heart of a patient includes the steps of inserting a PA cannula into a PA of a patient. There is the step of inserting an RA cannula into an RA of the patient. There is the step of connecting the RA cannula and the PA cannula to a blood pump disposed outside of the patient. There is the step of activating the blood pump to provide right ventricular circulatory support to assist the heart of the patient.

Abstract: Couplings for implanted leads and external stimulators, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a cable assembly that in turn includes an electrical cable having a proximal end and a distal end. A first connector is attached to the cable toward the proximal end and has a plurality of first connector contacts positioned to releasably connect to an external patient device. A second connector is attached by the cable toward the distal end, and includes a first portion and a second portion pivotably connected to the first portion. The first portion has a slot elongated along a slot axis and positioned to receive an implantable patient signal delivery element axially along the slot axis.

Abstract: An active implantable medical device for vagal stimulation with optimization of ventricular filling is disclosed. The device delivers stimulation pulses to the vagal nerve of the patient with an adjustable energy level. The device includes a hemodynamic sensor for measuring hemodynamic parameters of the patient's cardiac cycles and delivering a timing parameter representative of the ventricular filling time. The energy level of the vagal stimulation pulses is adjusted dynamically and repeatedly over several cardiac cycles. The energy level is varied during successive cardiac correlative changes in the filling time (FT1, FT2) are assessed (46), and the energy level is set to a level that maximizes the ventricular filling time.

Abstract: A cardiac event monitoring system includes a base unit including a base connector, a wearable electrode system, and a plug-in adapter. The wearable electrode system includes a cable, an electrode at one end of the cable, and a cable connector at the other end of the cable. The cable connector is configured to plug into the base connector. The plug-in adapter includes electrodes and an adapter connector that is configured to plug into the base connector.