Patents by Inventor Jamu K. Alford

Jamu K. Alford 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: 12059572
    Abstract: An implantable electrical stimulation device including an implant sized and configured to be implanted subcutaneously, the implant being configured to rectify a received pulse train of ultrasound into a single electrical pulse configured to stimulate a tibial nerve of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerel K. Mueller, Sarah J. Offutt, Jamu K. Alford, Douglas S. Cerny
  • Patent number: 11612738
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer Fodness Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter
  • Publication number: 20220152402
    Abstract: An implantable electrical stimulation device including an implant sized and configured to be implanted subcutaneously, the implant being configured to rectify a received pulse train of ultrasound into a single electrical pulse configured to stimulate a tibial nerve of a patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Jerel K. Mueller, Sarah J. Offutt, Jamu K. Alford, Douglas S. Cerny
  • Patent number: 11241582
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an implantable device and from an external device, an energy signal; transducing, by the implantable device, the energy signal into electrical power; outputting, by the implantable device and to the external device, a feedback signal that represents an absolute level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal, wherein the feedback signal includes a first portion that represents a relative level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal and a second portion that represents a reference voltage level; and delivering, by the implantable device, a level of electrical stimulation therapy proportional to the absolute level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Thaddeus S. Brink, Douglas S. Cerny, Sarah J. Offutt, Jerel K. Mueller
  • Publication number: 20200376260
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer Fodness Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter
  • Patent number: 10751525
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer Fodness Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter
  • Publication number: 20190358460
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an implantable device and from an external device, an energy signal; transducing, by the implantable device, the energy signal into electrical power; outputting, by the implantable device and to the external device, a feedback signal that represents an absolute level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal, wherein the feedback signal includes a first portion that represents a relative level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal and a second portion that represents a reference voltage level; and delivering, by the implantable device, a level of electrical stimulation therapy proportional to the absolute level of the electrical power transduced from the energy signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Thaddeus S. Brink, Douglas S. Cerny, Sarah J. Offutt, Jerel K. Mueller
  • Publication number: 20190269942
    Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and techniques for delivering therapy configured to treat bladder dysfunction. For example, a system may be configured to modulate bladder activity by determining a set of parameter values that at least partially defines ultrasound energy configured to modulate nerve tissue associated with bladder activity of a patient. The system may then control, according to the set of parameter values, delivery of the ultrasound energy from a set of ultrasound transducers external to the patient and to the nerve tissue associated with the bladder of the patient to modulate bladder activity and influence patient voiding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Yohan Kim, John R. LaLonde, Xuan K. Wei
  • Publication number: 20180289947
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer Fodness Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter
  • Publication number: 20180161002
    Abstract: In some examples, a system includes one or more ultrasound transducers, one or more temperature sensors, a user interface, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to control the one or more ultrasound transducers to deliver ultrasound to a target point of tissue of a patient to heat the target point of tissue, control the one or more temperature sensors to sense a temperature of other tissue of the patient proximate to the target point of tissue a plurality of times over a period of time after the target point of tissue has been heated, and present, via the user interface, information indicating flow of heat from the target point of tissue to the other tissue over the period of time based on the sensed temperatures to facilitate characterization of at least one of anatomy or function of the tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Erik R. Scott, John R. LaLonde, Yohan Kim, Jason E. Agran
  • Patent number: 9993638
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer M. Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter
  • Publication number: 20170007853
    Abstract: In some examples, a system includes a flexible ultrasound device configured to be attached to an external surface of a patient proximate to an organ of the patient to deliver ultrasound configured to modulate nerve tissue of the patient at the organ. The system further comprises one or more sensors configured to sense one or more physiological parameters indicative of at least one of a symptom treatable by, or a side effect of, the neuromodulation, and processing circuitry configured to control the delivery of ultrasound during an ambulatory period of the patient, and monitor the least one of the symptom or the side effect during the ambulatory period, based on the one or more physiological parameters. The organ may be the spleen and the ultrasound may at least one of regulate the autoimmune system of the patient, or reduce an inflammation response of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Erik R. Scott, John D. Welter, John R. LaLonde, Yohan Kim
  • Publication number: 20160243381
    Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and techniques for reducing neural degeneration within a brain of a patient. In one example, a method includes delivering, via one or more ultrasound transducers, ultrasound energy focused to a targeted region of the brain of the patient according to ultrasound parameters. The ultrasound parameters are selected to generate ultrasound energy that reduces or prevents neural degeneration within at least a portion, such as a selected region, of the brain associated with the targeted region of the brain. The targeted region of the brain may include at least a portion of the selected region of the brain and/or neurons that affect different neurons within the selected region of the brain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Steven M. Goetz
  • Publication number: 20150170792
    Abstract: Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Jamu K. Alford, Spencer M. Bondhus, Michael Kalm, James M. Olsen, Brian T. Stolz, Richard T. Stone, Bryan D. Stem, John D. Welter