Abstract: In response to local or systemic inflammation in a patient, photobiomodulation therapy is applied to a cardiac location to reduce the risk and/or occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. Once inflammation is identified, photobiomodulation therapy can be applied in any suitable fashion (e.g., via a catheter- or transesophageal probe-mounted photoemitter, via an externally-applied photoemitter, or via photoemitter incorporated into an implantable medical device). Photobiomodulation therapy can also be employed to good advantage in conjunction with non-photobiomodulation therapy (e.g., traditional cardiac rhythm management therapies).

Abstract: In response to local or systemic inflammation in a patient, photobiomodulation therapy is applied to a cardiac location to reduce the risk and/or occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. Once inflammation is identified, photobiomodulation therapy can be applied in any suitable fashion (e.g., via a catheter- or transesophageal probe-mounted photoemitter, via an externally-applied photoemitter, or via photoemitter incorporated into an implantable medical device). Photobiomodulation therapy can also be employed to good advantage in conjunction with non-photobiomodulation therapy (e.g., traditional cardiac rhythm management therapies).

Abstract: An implantable medical device has an impedance processor for determining atrial impedance data reflective of the cardiogenic impedance of an atrium of a heart during diastole and/or systole of heart cycle. Ventricular impedance data reflective of the cardiogenic impedance of a ventricle during diastole and/or systole are also determined. The determined impedance data are processed by a representation processor for estimating a diastolic and/or a systolic atrial impedance representation and a diastolic and/or a systolic ventricular impedance representation. A condition processor determines the presence of any heart valve malfunction, such as valve regurgitation and/or stenosis, of at least one heart valve based on the estimated atrial and ventricular impedance representations.

Abstract: An implantable medical device has an impedance processor that determines impedance data reflective of the transvalvular impedance of a heart valve of a heart during a heart cycle. The determined impedance data are processed by a representation processor that estimates diastolic and systolic transvalvular impedance representations. A condition processor determines the presence of any heart valve malfunction, such as valve regurgitation andor stenosis, of the heart valve based on the estimated diastolic and systolic transvalvular impedance representations.

Abstract: In an implantable medical device such as an implantable cardiac defibrillator, and a method for classifying arrhythmia events, IEGM signals are analyzed to detect an arrhythmia event and a respiratory pattern of the patient is sensed. At least one respiratory parameter reflecting characteristics of the respiratory pattern of the patient is determined based on the sensed respiratory pattern and a respiratory measure corresponding to a change of a rate of change of the at least one respiratory parameter is calculated. The detected arrhythmia event is classified based on the respiratory measure and the IEGM signals, wherein arrhythmia events that satisfy at least a first criterion is classified as an arrhythmia event requiring therapy.

Abstract: An implantable medical device (100) is configured for generating a cardiogenic impedance signal representative of the cardiogenic impedance of at least a portion of a heart (10) of a subject (20) during at least a portion of cardiac cycle. A moment processor (132) calculates a moment parameter value based on the cardiogenic impedance signal. The moment parameter is representative of a weighted sum of impedance amplitudes within a time window centered at defined time instance within the cardiac cycle. The weights of the impedance amplitudes are further dependent on the length in time between the defined time instance and the point of time of the associated impedance amplitude. The moment parameter is of high diagnostic value and is employed by an arrhythmia classifier (132) in order to classify a detected arrhythmia of the heart (10), such as discriminate between hemodynamically stable or unstable arrhythmias and/or supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract: An implantable coronary perfusion monitoring device for in-vivo determination of a coronary perfusion index (CPI) indicative of the coronary perfusion of a heart has a time measurement unit to determine a blood pressure reflection wave measure t indicating the timely position in the heart cycle of the maximum of a reflected blood pressure wave and in a time period starting at a preset point of time in systole and ending at a local maximum of blood pressure following aortic valve closure and, a diastolic peak pressure measurement unit adapted to determine a diastolic peak blood pressure measure DPP related to diastolic aortic peak pressure and a systolic arterial pressure measurement unit adapted to determine a systolic arterial blood pressure measure SAP related to systolic arterial pressure, and a coronary perfusion index calculating unit adapted to determine said coronary perfusion index CPI as (t·DPP)/SAP.

Abstract: In an implantable medical device and a method for monitoring ventricular synchronicity of a heart. In particular, impedance signals are measured and an occurrence of a notch is detected in the impedance signal coincident with a period including a change from rapid to slow filling of a ventricle. The notch is indicated by a first positive slope change in a negative slope in a predetermined time window during a diastolic phase of a cardiac cycle. A degree of synchronicity is determined based on the notch feature, wherein a decreasing notch feature indicates an increased degree of synchronicity in the filling phase of the ventricles.

Abstract: An implantable medical device (100) is configured for generating a cardiogenic impedance signal representative of the cardiogenic impedance of at least a portion of a heart (10) of a subject (20) during at least a portion of cardiac cycle. A moment processor (132) calculates a moment parameter value based on the cardiogenic impedance signal. The moment parameter is representative of a weighted sum of impedance amplitudes within a time window centered at defined time instance within the cardiac cycle. The weights of the impedance amplitudes are further dependent on the length in time between the defined time instance and the point of time of the associated impedance amplitude. The moment parameter is of high diagnostic value and is employed by an arrhythmia classifier (132) in order to classify a detected arrhythmia of the heart (10), such as discriminate between hemodynamically stable or unstable arrhythmias and/or supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract: An implantable medical system for detecting incipient edema has an implantable medical lead including an optical sensor having a light source and a light detector. The medical system further has an edema detection circuit that activates the light source to emit light, the light being directed into lung tissue of a patient and that obtains a light intensity value corresponding to an intensity of light received by the light detector, and that evaluates the light intensity value to detect a consistency with incipient edema.

Abstract: In response to local or systemic inflammation in a patient, photobiomodulation therapy is applied to a cardiac location to reduce the risk and/or occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. Once inflammation is identified, photobiomodulation therapy can be applied in any suitable fashion (e.g., via a catheter- or transesophageal probe-mounted photoemitter, via an externally-applied photoemitter, or via photoemitter incorporated into an implantable medical device). Photobiomodulation therapy can also be employed to good advantage in conjunction with non-photobiomodulation therapy (e.g., traditional cardiac rhythm management therapies).

Abstract: In a system and method for monitoring cardiac synchrony in a human heart, a first sensor is positioned at a first cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the first cardiac wall location and a second sensor is positioned at a second cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the second cardiac wall location. A lead arrangement conducts respective output signals from the first and second sensors to processing circuitry that processes the first and second sensor output signals to produce a synchronization signal therefrom indicative of synchrony in the respective valve plane movements at the first and second cardiac wall locations.

Abstract: In a system and method for monitoring cardiac synchrony in a human heart, a first sensor is positioned at a first cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the first cardiac wall location and a second sensor is positioned at a second cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the second cardiac wall location. A lead arrangement conducts respective output signals from the first and second sensors to processing circuitry that processes the first and second sensor output signals to produce a synchronization signal therefrom indicative of synchrony in the respective valve plane movements at the first and second cardiac wall locations.

Abstract: An implantable coronary perfusion monitoring device for in-vivo determination of a coronary perfusion index (CPI) indicative of the coronary perfusion of a heart has a time measurement unit to determine a blood pressure reflection wave measure t indicating the timely position in the heart cycle of the maximum of a reflected blood pressure wave and in a time period starting at a preset point of time in systole and ending at a local maximum of blood pressure following aortic valve closure and, a diastolic peak pressure measurement unit adapted to determine a diastolic peak blood pressure measure DPP related to diastolic aortic peak pressure and a systolic arterial pressure measurement unit adapted to determine a systolic arterial blood pressure measure SAP related to systolic arterial pressure, and a coronary perfusion index calculating unit adapted to determine said coronary perfusion index CPI as (t·DPP)/SAP.

Abstract: An ischemia monitoring system has detectors for detecting the onset of an ischemic event of a tissue in subject, the end of the ischemic event and the end of a following recovery from the ischemic event, respectively. A time processor determines the duration of the ischemic event and the recovery period based on the detected onset and end times. A status processor co-processes the two determined time durations for the purpose of monitoring the ischemic status of the subject and detecting any deterioration in ischemic status for the latest ischemic event as compared to previous ischemic events that have occurred in the subject's tissue.

Abstract: An implantable medical device is connected to a cardiomechanic sensor implanted in or in connection with a cardiac ventricle. The sensor generates a deformation signal representative of the myocardial deformation. The implantable medical device processes the deformation signal by calculating the derivative thereof to generate a deformation rate signal representative of the rate of myocardial deformation. The deformation rate signal is filtered and respective maximum deformation rate values are identified for multiple cardiac cycles in the filtered deformation rate signal. A value representative of the systemic blood pressure is calculated based on a combination of the respective maximum deformation rate values.

Abstract: In a system and method for monitoring cardiac synchrony in a human heart, a first sensor is positioned at a first cardiac wall location of a heart that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and the first sensor measures said cardiac wall movements at the first cardiac wall location and emits a first sensor output signal corresponding thereto, a second sensor is positioned at a second cardiac wall location of the heart that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and the second sensor measures the cardiac wall movements at the second cardiac wall location and emits a second sensor output signal corresponding thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining variation over time of a medical parameter of a human being obtained from a sensed signal has a sensor implantable in the human being for sensing the signal. A comparator compares at least one characteristic property, derived from the sensed signal obtained for at least one predetermined first level of activity of the human being, with corresponding reference property of a sensed reference signal, obtained for a predetermined reference level of activity of the human being, for determining a relation between the characteristic property of the sensed signal and the reference property. A trend determining unit determines trends in the medical parameter by analyzing the relation between the characteristic property of the sensed signal obtained at different times and the reference property. A corresponding method also function an implant for heart failure diagnostics also function as described.

Abstract: An implantable medical device has an impedance processor that determines impedance data reflective of the transvalvular impedance of a heart valve of a heart during a heart cycle. The determined impedance data are processed by a representation processor that estimates diastolic and systolic transvalvular impedance representations. A condition processor determines the presence of any heart valve malfunction, such as valve regurgitation and/or stenosis, of the heart valve based on the estimated diastolic and systolic transvalvular impedance representations.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac stimulation device has an atrial detector that detects atrial events of a patient's heart, and a memory in which sequences of IEGM signals are stored, having a predetermined length, and an analyzing unit that analyzes the sequences to determine if the stored sequences contain atrial events having a lower amplitude than the current sensitivity setting of the atrial detector. A control unit is connected to the atrial detector to adjust the sensitivity setting thereof to a threshold that is determined based on the aforementioned analysis of the IEGM signals.