Abstract: An implantable cardiac device is provided. The implantable cardiac device includes a sensing unit adapted to measure an intrathoracic or intracardiac impedance, pressure, and/or accelerometry input stream, which includes a patient's respiratory waveforms. Furthermore, the implantable cardiac device includes a quantizer-unit adapted to sample the input stream with an initial sampling frequency Fs, providing input samples of the input stream. The implantable cardiac device further includes a filter bank 50 suited to perform a streaming Wavelet transformation on the input samples on a sample-by-sample basis, using the initial sampling frequency Fs provided by the quantizer-unit, wherein the streaming Wavelet transformation is adapted to perform a source separation, extracting, and separating the respiratory waveforms of the input stream.

Abstract: An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device to alter and/or generate an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state and within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state.

Abstract: An implantable stimulation device including a stimulation module and a data communication module. The stimulation device includes electrodes to delivery stimulation pulses, a voltage source, a DC-blocking capacitor and autoshort switch. The voltage source is connected to the electrodes via stimulation-pulse-switch(s) that controls delivery pacing pulses. The DC-blocking capacitor is connected with the voltage source and an electrode. The autoshort switch allows discharging of the DC-blocking capacitor via the electrodes when closed. The data communication module includes a data transmission control module connected to the autoshort switch and/or the at least one stimulation-pulse-switch, to alternatingly open and close the autoshort switch or the at least one stimulation-pulse-switch respectively, during an autoshort period following the delivery of a stimulation pulse or during a stimulation pulse period, respectively, to modulate an autoshort pulse or a stimulation pulse peak amplitude, respectively.

Abstract: An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device to alter and/or generate an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state and within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state.

Abstract: A medical implant, a catheter, and a system including a medical implant and a catheter, where the catheter is used to position the medical implant and to reposition or explant the medical implant.

Abstract: An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device to alter and/or generate an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state and within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state.

Abstract: An implantable stimulation device including a stimulation module and a data communication module. The stimulation device includes electrodes to delivery stimulation pulses, a voltage source, a DC-blocking capacitor and autoshort switch. The voltage source is connected to the electrodes via stimulation-pulse-switch(s) that controls delivery pacing pulses. The DC-blocking capacitor is connected with the voltage source and an electrode. The autoshort switch allows discharging of the DC-blocking capacitor via the electrodes when closed. The data communication module includes a data transmission control module connected to the autoshort switch and/or the at least one stimulation-pulse-switch, to alternatingly open and close the autoshort switch or the at least one stimulation-pulse-switch respectively, during an autoshort period following the delivery of a stimulation pulse or during a stimulation pulse period, respectively, to modulate an autoshort pulse or a stimulation pulse peak amplitude, respectively.

Abstract: An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device that alters an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable device. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device when the implantable device is within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

Abstract: An RF protection circuit mitigates potentially adverse effects that may otherwise result from electromagnetic interference (e.g., due to MRI scanning of a patient having an implanted medical device). The RF protection circuit may comprise a voltage divider that is deployed across a pair of cardiac electrodes that are coupled to internal circuitry of the implantable medical device. Each leg of the voltage divider may be referenced to a ground of the internal circuit, whereby the different legs are deployed in parallel across different circuits of the internal circuitry. In this way, when an EMI-induced (e.g., MRI-induced) signal appears across the cardiac electrodes, the voltages appearing across these circuits and the currents flowing through these circuits may be reduced. The RF protection circuit may be used in an implantable medical device that employs a relatively low capacitance feedthrough to reduce EMI-induced (e.g., MRI-induced) current flow in a cardiac lead.

Abstract: An implantable leadless pacemaker having a housing and two electrodes arranged on said housing. The two electrodes are made of biocompatible materials that have different sensitivities to pH changes. The two electrodes are connected to an activity monitoring unit that is adapted to determine an open-circuit potential difference between the two electrodes and to generate an activity signal derived from said open-circuit potential difference.

Abstract: A sterilizable container for an implantable medical device, including an inner packaging and an outer packaging that encloses said inner packaging. The inner packaging includes an enclosure and at least two electric contacts that are arranged inside the enclosure and that are placed so as to contact an implantable medical device electrode when such implantable medical device is placed in said inner packaging. Each electric contact of said inner packaging is electrically connected to a respective planar electrode arranged at or close to an outer surface of said inner packaging so as to provide a capacitive communication interface. The inner packaging further includes fixture means that are configured to securely hold an implantable medical device in place to ensure electric contact between the at least two electric contacts and a respective implantable medical device electrode when such implantable medical device is placed in the inner packaging.

Abstract: A cardiac device and method for detecting QRS signals within a composite heart signal of a body including providing at least two input heart signals via at least two separate input channels, wherein each of the at least two input heart signals is recorded by pairs of sensing electrodes that have one electrode in common and provided coincidental in time. The cardiac device and method include generating estimated signals from the input heart signals, combining the input heart signals and the estimated signals to a combined input stream (SECG), and detecting the QRS signal by comparing the combined input stream (SECG) to an adaptive detection threshold (ATHR) which adapts throughout time.

Abstract: A method for automatic threshold control and detection of lead failure in an implanted medical device obtains three sensing vectors for measurement of an electrocardiogram signal. A dynamic error signal is determined from the vectors, and may be used to set a detection threshold for insufficient ECG signals, and/or to passively monitor the device for indications of lead failure without performing an impedance measurement. Passive mode operation conserves battery power and enables continuous lead integrity checks. A quality factor may also be determined from the error signal, to indicate whether or not signal measurements are valid with respect to noise levels. If the detection threshold is allowed to decay between successive features of the electrocardiogram, the decay rate may be made adaptive such that it automatically adjusts to changes in heart rate or to changes in amplitude of the electrocardiogram features.

Abstract: A filtering scheme for an implantable medical device mitigates potentially adverse effects that may be caused by MRI-induced signals. In some aspects filtering is provided to attenuate MRI-induced signals on an implanted cardiac lead that is coupled to an implanted device. In some aspects the filter may be configured to complement a capacitor circuit (e.g., a feedthrough capacitor) that reduces the amount of EMI that enters the implanted device via the cardiac lead. In some implementations the filter consists of a LC tank circuit and a series LC circuit, where the LC tank circuit is in series with the cardiac lead and a cardiac stimulation circuit and the series LC circuit is in a shunt configuration across the cardiac stimulation circuit.

Abstract: Implantable electromedical device or loop recorders or ILRs that solve the problem of very low arrhythmia detection specificities in, i.e., high number of false positives, based on detection and analysis of external noise, specifically muscle noise surrounding the electromedical device. Embodiments generally employ active detection of lead or device movement that induces signal artifacts indicative of external noise. One or more embodiments may detect lead or device movement through use of a piezoelectric transducer, for example located proximally to the device or in the lead of the electromedical.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac device is provided. The implantable cardiac device includes a sensing unit adapted to measure an intrathoracic or intracardiac impedance, pressure, and/or accelerometry input stream, which includes a patient's respiratory waveforms. Furthermore, the implantable cardiac device includes a quantizer-unit adapted to sample the input stream with an initial sampling frequency Fs, providing input samples of the input stream. The implantable cardiac device further includes a filter bank 50 suited to perform a streaming Wavelet transformation on the input samples on a sample-by-sample basis, using the initial sampling frequency Fs provided by the quantizer-unit, wherein the streaming Wavelet transformation is adapted to perform a source separation, extracting, and separating the respiratory waveforms of the input stream.

Abstract: An implantable heart monitoring device including a sensing unit, a signal quality analysis unit, and an evaluation unit. The sensing unit is connected to at least one electrode that picks up electric potentials. The sensing unit processes electrical signals corresponding to the electric potentials, and generates sense signals including events corresponding to myocardial contractions. The signal quality analysis unit determines whether a noise condition (NC) and/or a low signal indication is present for an event and generates an indication signal. The evaluation unit evaluates the sense signals and the indication signals, treats a detected event as non-valid if a NC and/or low signal indication signal is present for that event, and uses only intervals defined by two consecutive events which do not have a NC and/or a low signal indication to determine a rate of events of the sense signal.

Abstract: A cardiac device and method for detecting QRS signals within a composite heart signal of a body including providing at least two input heart signals via at least two separate input channels, wherein each of the at least two input heart signals is recorded by pairs of sensing electrodes that have one electrode in common and provided coincidental in time. The cardiac device and method include generating estimated signals from the input heart signals, combining the input heart signals and the estimated signals to a combined input stream (SECG), and detecting the QRS signal by comparing the combined input stream (SECG) to an adaptive detection threshold (ATHR) which adapts throughout time.

Abstract: An implantable medical device (IMD) is provided which is capable of sensing and determining its orientation, and of determining whether the IMD has been displaced over time away from its original or optimal position. Electronic components of the IMD, including a processor, digital memory, signal conditioning components, and a power supply, are preferably hermetically sealed within a biocompatible housing. At least three subcutaneous electrodes have fixed relative spacing for sensing electrical cardiac activity for various combinations of two electrodes, forming sensing vectors. Amplitude ratios and sign indicators associated with the sensing vectors are compared with a reference to determine an orientation of the device. In one embodiment, a telemetry unit transmits orientation data as a function of time to a remote device, and the remote device compares different stored orientations to detect displacement over time.

Abstract: An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device to alter and/or generate an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state and within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is in its implanted state.