Abstract: A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a touch screen having a rigid contact surface. The touch screen overlay apparatus comprises a flexible membrane that covers at least a portion of the rigid contact surface. This flexible membrane is removably maintained in a predetermined position over the rigid contact surface to provide a more tactually desirable surface for manual actuation than the rigid contact surface. Furthermore, the flexible membrane may include one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions which are disposed on the membrane so as to be in substantial registration with input regions on the rigid contact surface to provide tactile landmarks for the user.

Abstract: A telephone handset construction is provided, which has a movable cover which is articulable from a closed position to an open position. The cover has a rigid portion and a flexible portion. When the cover is in the closed position, the flexible portion thereof is furled around front and top portions of the main body of the telephone handset. Upon deployment of the cover, by pulling the rigid portion of the cover in a direction away from the main body of the handset, the flexible portion of the cover is unfurled and moved to a position substantially covering the back of the main body portion of the handset.

Abstract: An implantable cardioversion/defibrillation device includes a cardioversion signal generator and a defibrillator signal generator. Heart beat rates are classified into a first, an intermediate and a second range. A ventricle state determinator is also provided to determine the current status of the ventricle. At the low and high rates cardioversion and fibrillation signals are generated and applied to the heart, respectively. At the intermediate rate, if the ventricle is stable, cardioversion signals are generated and applied. If the ventricle is unstable, then defibrillation signals are applied. Ventricle stability is determined from the variability of the ventricular rate.

Abstract: A cardiac implant device is provided in which the ventricular rate is monitored to differentiate between atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia or other cardiac conditions. For this purpose, the ventricular rate stability is monitored by, for example, measuring the R-R intervals of successive ventricular beats. If the ventricular rate is found to be unstable, the ventricle is paced at a test rate to try to stabilize the ventricle. If the attempt is unsuccessful, atrial fibrillation is assumed and, if necessary, corresponding therapy is applied. If the attempt is unsuccessful, atrial fibrillation is eliminated as a cause of the ventricular rate instability and other types of classifying and treating the cardiac condition may be used.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for discriminating between tachycardias of physiological origin, and those of pathological origin having similar atrial and ventricular rates, are disclosed. The apparatus includes two sensing electrodes for registering the electrograms from the atrium and the ventricle of the heart. There is further included a signal processing element for determining the times of atrial and ventricular events, and an algorithm for classifying the heart rhythm. The algorithm includes a means for discriminating between different types of heart rhythms having overlapping ventricular rates and having similar atrial and ventricular rates. The method utilizes an analysis of the relationships between successive atrial and ventricular intervals (i.e., atrial-atrial (AA), ventricular-ventricular (VV) and atrial-ventricular (AV) intervals) in discriminating between such heart rhythms.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for discriminating between tachycardias of physiological origin, and those of pathological origin having similar atrial and ventricular rates, are disclosed. The apparatus includes two sensing electrodes for registering the electrograms from the atrium and the ventricle of the heart. There is further included a signal processing element for determining the times of atrial and ventricular events, and an algorithm for classifying the heart rhythm. The algorithm includes a means for discriminating between different types of heart rhythms having overlapping ventricular rates and having similar atrial and ventricular rates. The method utilizes an analysis of the relationships between successive atrial and ventricular intervals (i.e., atrial-atrial (AA), ventricular-ventricular (VV) and atrial-ventricular (AV) intervals) in discriminating between such heart rhythms.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and reverting pathological heart rhythms of a patient are disclosed. A plurality of electrical heart rhythm signals of the patient are sensed at two different locations within the heart. The cross-phase spectra of the sensed heart rhythm signals for each heartbeat are calculated and such heart rhythms are classified based upon the information contained in the cross-phase spectra. Appropriate therapy is then delivered to the patient's heart to revert those of the heart rhythms that are classified as pathological.