Abstract: A protective patch or bandage is provided for use with an implantable trial neurostimulation lead for implant within a patient. In one example, the lead is routed through the patch to a trial neurostimulation generator. In another example, the patch includes an internal electrical connector for connecting the trial neurostimulation lead to a connection line from the trial neurostimulation generator. In either case, the patch is sealed over an implant site to protect and hygienically isolate the site. A central chamber of the patch is provided to hold medical gauze and to further hold a coiled portion of the neurostimulation lead. In some examples, the patient can shower while wearing the protective patch.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disposable enclosure for use with a trial neurostimulation device configured to electrically couple with a neurostimulation lead for implant within a patient. The trial neurostimulation device includes a pulse generator portion. The disposable enclosure includes a first wall structure, a second wall structure opposite the first wall structure, a volume between the first and second wall structures, and a header. The volume is configured to receive therein the pulse generator portion. The header is configured to electrically couple with the neurostimulation lead. The header is supported in the disposable enclosure adjacent the volume and configured to electrically couple with the pulse generator portion when the pulse generator portion is located in the volume.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for initiating a bi-directional communication link with an implantable medical device. The systems and methods configure an implantable medical device (IMD) to detect activation fields from a triggering device when the triggering device is positioned proximate to the IMD, and to identify a field characterization of the activation field. The systems and methods further configure the IMD to establish a bi-directional communication link with an external device through a select communication initialization mode form a plurality of communication initialization modes defined by a wireless protocol in response to the field characterization of the activation field.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disposable enclosure for use with a trial neurostimulation device configured to electrically couple with a neurostimulation lead for implant within a patient. The trial neurostimulation device includes a pulse generator portion. The disposable enclosure includes a first wall structure, a second wall structure opposite the first wall structure, a volume between the first and second wall structures, and a header. The volume is configured to receive therein the pulse generator portion. The header is configured to electrically couple with the neurostimulation lead. The header is supported in the disposable enclosure adjacent the volume and configured to electrically couple with the pulse generator portion when the pulse generator portion is located in the volume.

Abstract: A protective patch or bandage is provided for use with an implantable trial neurostimulation lead for implant within a patient. In one example, the lead is routed through the patch to a trial neurostimulation generator. In another example, the patch includes an internal electrical connector for connecting the trial neurostimulation lead to a connection line from the trial neurostimulation generator. In either case, the patch is sealed over an implant site to protect and hygienically isolate the site. A central chamber of the patch is provided to hold medical gauze and to further hold a coiled portion of the neurostimulation lead. In some examples, the patient can shower while wearing the protective patch.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for trending a coronary burden such as an ischemic burden or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) for a patient. Trending provides obtaining cardiac data over a period of time, identifying the onset and the termination of coronary episodes based on a ST segment variation within the cardiac data, recording coronary burden information, and presenting the coronary burden information to a user. The coronary burden information may include the number of coronary episodes occurring over a period of time, the time duration of the coronary episodes, and the maximum ST segment variations for the coronary episodes that occur over a period of time.

Abstract: Cardiac activity is sensed over a plurality of heart beats defining a beat set. For each beat in the set, it is determined whether the beat is a non-classified beat (e.g., paced beat, a beat outside of a specified heart rate range or a PVC), or a classified beat. For each classified beat, it is determined whether the beat is a non-detect beat, a minor beat or a major beat. Counts of classified beats, non-classified beats, major beats, minor beats, and non-detect beats are maintained. The beat set is declared to be one of a non-classified set, a major set, a minor set or a non-detect set based on the relative counts of classified beats, non-classified beats, major beats, minor beats, and non-detect beats. Over a period of time, counts of beat-set types are maintained and entry into and exit from ST episodes are determined based on these beat-set counts.

Abstract: When a medical procedure is performed on a patient in whom an implantable medical device is implanted, the medical procedure may have undesired effects on the medical device, such as triggering a response that initiates therapy by the device that is unnecessary and potentially dangerous to the patient. Systems and methods may facilitate performing of such medical procedures on such patients by automatically reprogramming the medical device, monitoring for one or more detectable characteristics associated with the medical procedure to be performed, and automatically restoring normal operation of the IMD after the medical procedure is completed.

Abstract: Cardiac activity is sensed over a plurality of heart beats defining a beat set. For each beat in the set, it is determined whether the beat is a non-classified beat (e.g., paced beat, a beat outside of a specified heart rate range or a PVC), or a classified beat. For each classified beat, it is determined whether the beat is a non-detect beat, a minor beat or a major beat. Counts of classified beats, non-classified beats, major beats, minor beats, and non-detect beats are maintained. The beat set is declared to be one of a non-classified set, a major set, a minor set or a non-detect set based on the relative counts of classified beats, non-classified beats, major beats, minor beats, and non-detect beats. Over a period of time, counts of beat-set types are maintained and entry into and exit from ST episodes are determined based on these beat-set counts.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for trending variation in coronary burden across multiple heart rate ranges. The method and system include obtaining cardiac signals having a segment of interest over a period of time where each cardiac signal has an associated heart rate that falls within at least one heart rate range. Segment variations of the segment of interest are determined and grouped based on the associated heart rates to produce distributions of segment variations that are associated with the heart rate ranges. Trending information is produced by automatically comparing the distributions of segment variations between different heart rate ranges.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for tracking ST shift data. The system includes an implantable medical device having an input configured to receive cardiac signals. Each cardiac signal has an associated heart rate and includes a segment of interest. The implantable medical device further includes a processor configured to determine segment variations of the segment of interest in the cardiac signals. The processor determines a heart rate associated with each of the segment variations with each heart rate falling within a corresponding heart rate range. The implantable medical device also includes a memory configured to store a group of histograms for a corresponding group of heart rate ranges. The histograms store distributions for the segment variations within corresponding heart rate ranges.

Abstract: An implantable cardiac stimulating device employs different post-ventricular atrial refractory periods for different types of ventricular events, such as a sensed ventricular event and a paced ventricular event. A controller facilitates selection or adjustment by remote programming of two different post-ventricular atrial blanking intervals that are invoked depending upon the type of ventricular event. A set of discrete blanking interval values may be available for programming the different blanking intervals, and a search routine may be executed to systematically apply the different blanking interval values and determine a suitable value by determining whether far-field R-waves are detected after expiration of each applied blanking interval value.