Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Poletto

Christopher J. Poletto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8452414
    Abstract: Stimulation current is steered further outward and/or inward from a plane of the stimulating electrodes by using one or more steering currents. The steering current may be used to occupy space in the tissue where stimulation is not desired and to force the stimulation current to pass through target tissue. The steering current may be present in various locations such as in tissue that is immediately adjacent the plane of the electrodes to force the stimulation current away from the immediately adjacent area and deeper into surrounding target tissue. The steering current may be present in tissue that is beyond the target tissue to confine the outward reach of the stimulation current to that target tissue. The stimulation current may be produced by one power source while the steering current may be produced by one or more other power sources, each of the power sources being unreferenced to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher J. Poletto
  • Publication number: 20110264167
    Abstract: A method includes evoking and recording the response of a trigeminal reflex in the presence and absence of occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) to determine whether, and to what extent, ONS modulates the trigeminal reflex. If the ONS modulates the trigeminal reflex, e.g. to a sufficient degree, the subject may be considered a candidate for ONS for treatment of headache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventor: Christopher J. Poletto
  • Publication number: 20110077717
    Abstract: Stimulation current is steered further outward and/or inward from a plane of the stimulating electrodes by using one or more steering currents. The steering current may be used to occupy space in the tissue where stimulation is not desired and to force the stimulation current to pass through target tissue. The steering current may be present in various locations such as in tissue that is immediately adjacent the plane of the electrodes to force the stimulation current away from the immediately adjacent area and deeper into surrounding target tissue. The steering current may be present in tissue that is beyond the target tissue to confine the outward reach of the stimulation current to that target tissue. The stimulation current may be produced by one power source while the steering current may be produced by one or more other power sources, each of the power sources being unreferenced to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventor: Christopher J. Poletto
  • Publication number: 20100179626
    Abstract: A method includes (i) inserting a paddle portion of a lead into a longitudinal slit of a tool having a lumen in communication with the slit; (ii) axially rotating the tool relative to the paddle portion of the lead to cause the paddle portion of the lead to enter the lumen; (iii) axially aligning the lumen of the tool with a lumen of an introducer; and (iv) advancing the paddle portion of the lead through the lumen of the tool and into the lumen of the introducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig S. Pilarski, Thomas I. Miller, Christopher J. Poletto
  • Publication number: 20100179561
    Abstract: A tool for retracting a tine of a lead includes a body extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The body defines (i) a lumen configured to receive the lead and (ii) a longitudinal slit in communication with the lumen. The longitudinal slit is configured to slidably receive the tine when the tine is deployed such that the deployed tine extends though the longitudinal slit. The tool and slit are configured such that axial rotation or longitudinal retraction of the tool causes the tine to retract into the lumen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig S. Pilarski, Thomas I. Miller, Christopher J. Poletto
  • Patent number: 6701418
    Abstract: A set of related methods for detecting the existence and exact nature of any rearrangements and/or inversions of address lines and/or data lines to a memory device, relative to a second set of address lines and/or data lines to the same memory, are disclosed. Moreover, a set of related methods for correcting these relative rearrangements and/or inversions are disclosed. These methods allow meaningful access to memory shared by two or more devices using different address and data paths in the case where the relative nature of the address and data paths is unknown a priori. These methods of detecting and correcting such mismatches in separate address and data lines to shared memory may be implemented either in hardware or software or a combination of both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher J. Poletto, Judd E. Heape, Steven Trautmann
  • Publication number: 20020120825
    Abstract: A set of related methods for detecting the existence and exact nature of any rearrangements and/or inversions of address lines and/or data lines to a memory device, relative to a second set of address lines and/or data lines to the same memory are disclosed. Moreover, a set of related methods for correcting these relative rearrangements and/or inversions are disclosed. These methods allow meaningful access to memory shared by two or more devices using different address and data paths in the case where the relative nature of the address and data paths is unknown a priori. These methods of detecting and correcting such mismatches in separate address and data lines to shared memory may be implemented either in hardware or software or a combination of both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: Christopher J. Poletto, Judd E. Heape, Steven Trautmann