Patents by Inventor Gerald Czygan

Gerald Czygan 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).

  • Publication number: 20100010354
    Abstract: An implantable measurement arrangement for intracorporeal acoustic measurement of geometric parameters and motion parameters in and on organs and/or tissues of a patient includes an implantable device, in particular an electromedical device; an implantable sonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, the transducer being in signal connection with the implantable device; and an implantable reflector in communication with the implantable device and situated at a distance from the sonic transducer for reflecting the ultrasonic waves back in the direction of the sonic transducer. The electromedical device can analyze the ultrasonic waves picked up and reflected back by the sonic transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Olaf Skerl, Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20090216145
    Abstract: A system which generates a warning signal in the event of looming pulmonary edema and/or looming decompensation. The system has an impedance detection unit for determining impedance values, which represent a transthoracic impedance course, and an impedance analysis unit (78), which is connected to the impedance detection unit. The impedance analysis unit (78) is implemented to determine the degree of modulation for a particular impedance course detected by the impedance detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Olaf SKERL, Micahel Lippert, Gerald Czygan, Stefan Paule
  • Patent number: 7519422
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose an implantable electrotherapy device comprising a housing in which are arranged an activity sensor, an impedance or conductivity measuring unit and an evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit is connected to the impedance or conductivity measuring unit and to the activity sensor and is adapted to evaluate the impedance or conductivity signal produced by the impedance or conductivity measuring unit and the respectively time-associated activity level signal and for producing and outputting a contractility signal, in such a way that the contractility signal is derived from the impedance or conductivity signal and the activity level signal and reflects the respective contractile state of a heart associated with an activity level signal value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Biotronik CRM Patent AG
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20090048524
    Abstract: Implantable pressure measuring unit for internal pressure measurement in a blood vessel or heart of a patient, having a pressure sensor having electrical signal output, fixing means adapted to the intended measurement location for fixing the pressure sensor, a power supply unit of the pressure sensor, a signal detection unit connected by a line to the signal output of the pressure sensor, and a transmitting unit connected to a measurement data output of the signal detection unit, in particular for wireless transmission of measurement data to an analysis unit, in particular outward from the patient body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Hans-Jurgen WILDAU, Gerald Czygan, Michael Diebold, Michael Lippert, Claus Harder, Thomas Schmitz-Rode
  • Patent number: 7450990
    Abstract: A device for electrostimulation of body tissue through a stimulation electrode, in which a stimulation outcome is detected, at least after delivery of a stimulation pulse, on the basis of detecting a drop in a voltage over time or a rise in a short-circuit current over time at a capacitance including at least one Hemholtz capacitance produced on the surface of the stimulation electrode in conjunction with surrounding body fluid or the body tissue, and wherein the drop in voltage or the rise in short-circuit current is representative of a characteristic drop in a myocardium impedance of the body tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Biotronik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20080249585
    Abstract: A device is connected to electrode leads which performs intracardiac impedance measurements, conducts a transient pacing protocol, analyses the impedance measurements, and generates an LV lead position quality factor. The transient pacing protocol includes a repeated change (“transitions”) between ventricular intrinsic rhythm and biventricular paced rhythm and may also include a variation of the atrioventricular delay (AVD) and/or the interventricular delay (VVD). The quality factor expresses the degree to which hemodynamic properties have improved due to BiV stimulation for the current LV lead position compared to intrinsic ventricular rhythm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan, Stefan Paule
  • Publication number: 20080195162
    Abstract: An implantable medical device has an impedance or admittance determination unit, an alternating current or voltage source, a measuring unit, and an analysis unit which is connected to the alternating current or AC voltage source and the measuring unit to calculate an impedance value or an admittance value at different times. The impedance or admittance determination unit may generate measuring current having two different frequencies (preferably below 100 kHz), and the analysis unit may calculate pairs of impedance or admittance values which are chronologically assigned to one another for different frequencies of the measuring current, and calculate a value for a blood impedance or blood admittance component which is independent of the impedance of the body tissue surrounding a particular blood vessel, The analysis unit may also determine trends in this value over time as an indicator for a change of blood hematocrit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Olaf Skerl, Stefan Paule, Bernhard Fahn, Gerald Czygan, Heinrich Reinke, Albrecht Urbaszek
  • Patent number: 7395114
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose an implant with electrode line connections for the connection of intracardial and/or epicardial electrode lines, wherein the electrode line connections have together at least three electrical contacts of which at least one is associated with a right-ventricular electrode and another is associated with a left-ventricular electrode, an impedance determining unit (IMP) which has a current or voltage source (I) and a measuring device (U) for a corresponding voltage or current measurement operation, which is connected to the electrical contacts and possibly a housing electrode of the implant, in such a way as to afford a tri- or quadrupolar impedance measuring arrangement which includes exclusively ventricular electrodes and in addition possibly the housing electrode, wherein the impedance measuring arrangement produces impedance measurement values and is connected to an evaluation unit (EVAL) and the evaluation unit (EVAL) is adapted to ascertain a minimum of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Biotronik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Michael Lippert
  • Publication number: 20080146934
    Abstract: A heart stimulation system comprises an electrode lead comprising at least one stimulation electrode a stimulation pulse generator adapted to generate electric stimulation pulses and being connected to said electrode lead for delivering electric stimulation pulses to at least one chamber of a heart via said stimulation electrode, and a control unit that is connected to said stimulation pulse generator. The electrode lead is a coronary sinus lead adapted to be placed inside the coronary sinus of a human heart and comprises an ultrasonic transducer that is adapted to measure a velocity of blood flow across a mitral valve of a human heart and that is placed on said coronary sinus lead such that the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the coronary sinus or the great cardiac vein when the coronary sinus lead is in its implanted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Michael Lippert, Tibor Nappholz
  • Publication number: 20070150012
    Abstract: The invention concerns implantable cardiac stimulation devices in general which have at least one stimulation pulse generator (A-STIM; RV-STIM; LV-STIM) to selectively generate a stimulation pulse for delivery to one of at least two different chambers of a heart, said chambers include right and left atria and right and left ventricles, at least one impedance measuring stage (I, U, IMP) being connected to electrodes or connectors for such electrodes to measure an intracardiac impedance when in use, a control unit (CTRL) connected to the stimulation pulse generator and to the impedance measuring unit and being adapted to process a minimum impedance value for a heart cycle to trigger stimulation pulses for two different chambers of the heart with an adjustable time delay (VVD; AVD) and to adjust said time delay depending upon the measured intracardiac impedance minimum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Michael Lippert
  • Publication number: 20070055170
    Abstract: A device for detecting the state of a heart on the basis of intracardial impedance measurement. The device has an impedance measuring unit, which has electrical terminals, configured to be electrically connected or to be connected to electrodes for delivering and detecting a current or voltage, and is implemented to ascertain an impedance on the basis of the dimension of the delivered current or voltage and the voltage drop caused by the current or the current caused by the voltage, as well as an analysis unit, which is connected to the impedance measuring unit and is implemented to derive a cardiac function parameter from a time curve of the impedance ascertained using the impedance measuring unit. The analysis unit analyzes the impedance curve assigned to a diastole and derives a cardiac function parameter characterizing the behavior of a heart during the diastole (filling phase of the ventricle).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan, Stefan Paule
  • Patent number: 7130695
    Abstract: An arrangement (10) for monitoring and adjusting a control of an electromedical implant (12) by means of an external control and evaluation unit (14) is made up of the electromedical implant, the external control and evaluation unit and a central, autarchically runnable evaluation logic means (30) which controls the activities of a telemetry unit (16) and a memory unit (34), which is connected to a clock and timer unit (42) and which on the basis of certain communicated data ascertains control sequences and control parameters for monitoring and adjusting the implant and co-ordinates the transmission thereof to the implant. An expert system (ES) may be adapted to assess all monitoring and adjusting tasks on a patient-individual basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Biotronik Mess- und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Max Schaldach, Jr., legal representative, Max Schaldach, deceased
  • Publication number: 20060135886
    Abstract: An electromedical implant includes a measuring signal generator, an impedance measuring unit to determine the impedance of human or animal tissue, a control unit which, for controlling the measuring signal generator and the impedance measuring unit, is at least indirectly connected to the measuring signal generator and to the impedance measuring unit, as well as an electrode arrangement comprising at least two electrodes which can be directly or indirectly connected or at least temporarily connected to the measuring signal generator and to the impedance measuring unit, or to a connection for such an electrode arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Applicant: BIOTRONIK CRM Patent AG
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20050240233
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose an implantable electrotherapy device comprising a housing in which are arranged an activity sensor, an impedance or conductivity measuring unit and an evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit is connected to the impedance or conductivity measuring unit and to the activity sensor and is adapted to evaluate the impedance or conductivity signal produced by the impedance or conductivity measuring unit and the respectively time-associated activity level signal and for producing and outputting a contractility signal, in such a way that the contractility signal is derived from the impedance or conductivity signal and the activity level signal and reflects the respective contractile state of a heart associated with an activity level signal value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Lippert, Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20050101833
    Abstract: The invention concerns a medical device for implantation in a body, comprising a stimulation unit, a sleep detector unit having at least one signal input which is adapted to detect a sleep condition of the body and to produce a sleep signal, an apnea detector unit which is adapted to detect sleep apnea in dependence on at least one body signal caused by the body and to produce an apnea signal, a therapy unit which is at least indirectly connected to the stimulation unit! the sleep detector unit and to the apnea detector unit and which is adapted to produce, in dependence on the apnea signal and the sleep signal, at least one apnea therapy signal which represents therapy information for preventing and/or for the treatment of sleep apnea, and to send same to the stimulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: William Hsu, Mark Johnson, Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20050049646
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose an implant with electrode line connections for the connection of intracardial and/or epicardial electrode lines, wherein the electrode line connections have together at least three electrical contacts of which at least one is associated with a right-ventricular electrode and another is associated with a left-ventricular electrode, an impedance determining unit (IMP) which has a current or voltage source (I) and a measuring device (U) for a corresponding voltage or current measurement operation, which is connected to the electrical contacts and possibly a housing electrode of the implant, in such a way as to afford a tri- or quadrupolar impedance measuring arrangement which includes exclusively ventricular electrodes and in addition possibly the housing electrode, wherein the impedance measuring arrangement produces impedance measurement values and is connected to an evaluation unit (EVAL) and the evaluation unit (EVAL) is adapted to ascertain a minimum of
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Michael Lippert
  • Publication number: 20040147983
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device electrostimulating body tissue, particularly, a cardiac pacemaker, in which a stimulation outcome is detected on the basis of the configuration in respect of time of a voltage at the capacitance after delivery of the stimulation pulse, the short-circuit current or a parameter linked to one of those parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Applicant: Biotronik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gerald Czygan
  • Publication number: 20040078061
    Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement (10) for and an associated method of monitoring and adjusting a control of an electromedical implant (12) for intracardial cardiac therapy by means of an external control and evaluation unit (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicant: Biotronik Mess-und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Max Schaldach, Max Schaldach
  • Patent number: 6708063
    Abstract: An implantable cardiac pacemaker (1) comprising a control device (2) including a position detector connected to a movement sensor, wherein the position detector has a classification device (23) for recognizing short movements. Preferably the position detector has a memory device (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Biotronik Mess- und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Co. Ingernieurbuero
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Martin Lang
  • Publication number: 20010012954
    Abstract: An implantable cardiac pacemaker (1) comprising a control device (2) including a position detector connected to a movement sensor, wherein the position detector has a classification device (23) for recognizing short movements. Preferably the position detector has a memory device (25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Applicant: BIOTRONIK Mess-und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Co
    Inventors: Gerald Czygan, Martin Lang