Abstract: A medical electrical lead implant tool includes a gripping assembly, terminating a distal end of an elongate shaft, adapted to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and to rotate the lead, and a user control terminating a proximal end of the shaft. An internal drive cable extends within the shaft coupling the gripping assembly to the user control. The user control facilitates single-handed manipulation of a slidable dial, which may be grasped by fingers of a hand for longitudinal and rotational manipulation when a stationary handle is held in a palm of the hand; the longitudinal manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and the rotational manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to rotate the lead.

Abstract: A medical electrical lead implant tool includes a gripping assembly, terminating a distal end of an elongate shaft, adapted to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and to rotate the lead, and a user control terminating a proximal end of the shaft. An internal drive cable extends within the shaft coupling the gripping assembly to the user control. The user control facilitates single-handed manipulation of a slidable dial, which may be grasped by fingers of a hand for longitudinal and rotational manipulation when a stationary handle is held in a palm of the hand; the longitudinal manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and the rotational manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to rotate the lead.

Abstract: A medical electrical lead implant tool includes a gripping assembly, terminating a distal end of an elongate shaft, adapted to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and to rotate the lead, and a user control terminating a proximal end of the shaft. An internal drive cable extends within the shaft coupling the gripping assembly to the user control. The user control facilitates single-handed manipulation of a slidable dial, which may be grasped by fingers of a hand for longitudinal and rotational manipulation when a stationary handle is held in a palm of the hand; the longitudinal manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and the rotational manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to rotate the lead.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus according to the disclosure include without limitation the following. A method for providing fault tolerance to an active implantable medical device (AIMD) coupled via a medical electrical lead to an implantable physiologic sensor (IPS), including a conductive member or structure for imparting a biasing force to a proximal portion of the lead. The conductive member electrically couples to a source of reference electrical potential (i.e., electrical ground) and neither contacts nor conducts a source of power for the IPS. The conductive member can include threads and interlocking tool-receiving portions and can be shielded from contact with body fluid(s) by a seal-healing grommet or septum. Furthermore, a set screw can serve as the conductive member and the set screw can include an Allen wrench receptacle or a screwdriver receptacle or equivalent.

Abstract: The invention addresses possible fault scenarios including exposure to electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can include radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation due to one or more security and/or communication regimens as well as various imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron electron transmission (PET) imaging or the like. In one aspect, an active implantable medical device (AIMD) is configured to sense a physiologic parameter of a patient and provide a therapy such as cardiac pacing, high-energy cardioversion/defibrillation therapy and/or a drug or substance delivery regimen. An implantable physiologic sensor (IPS) couples to the AIMD with coaxial conductors with the inner conductor carrying the IPS output signals thus avoiding output signal degradation due to EMI. That is, the outer conductor couples to ground providing electromagnetic protection (e.g., like a Faraday cage) to the inner conductive and the output signals.

Abstract: A medical electrical lead implant tool includes a gripping assembly, terminating a distal end of an elongate shaft, adapted to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and to rotate the lead, and a user control terminating a proximal end of the shaft. An internal drive cable extends within the shaft coupling the gripping assembly to the user control. The user control facilitates single-handed manipulation of a slidable dial, which may be grasped by fingers of a hand for longitudinal and rotational manipulation when a stationary handle is held in a palm of the hand; the longitudinal manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to alternately grasp the lead and release the lead and the rotational manipulation causing the gripping assembly, via the drive cable, to rotate the lead.

Abstract: A tool for implanting a pacing lead of the type having a fixation helix. The tool is provided a curved, elongated shaft with rotatable tongs mounted at its distal end. The tongs extend distally from the shaft and angle radially outward and slide against a bearing located in a distal portion of the shaft. A cable, rotatable and longitudinally movable relative to the shaft, extends through the shaft and is coupled to the tongs. A handle is mounted at a proximal end of the shaft and includes a mechanism for rotating the cable mechanism relative to the shaft and for moving the cable longitudinally relative to the shaft, so that the tons may grip rotate and release the tongs.

Abstract: An endocardial lead for implantation in a right heart chamber for responding to blood pressure and temperature and providing modulated pressure and temperature related signals to an implanted or external hemodynamic monitor and/or cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillator. The lead has a sensor module formed in its distal end and is coupled to a monitor that powers a sensor circuit in the sensor module. The sensor module is formed with a pickoff capacitor that changes capacitance with pressure changes and a reference capacitor that is relatively insensitive to pressure changes. The sensor circuit provides charge current that changes with temperature variation at the implant site, alternately charges and discharges the two capacitors, and provides timing pulses having distinguishable parameters at the end of each charge cycle that are transmitted to the demodulator.

Abstract: A cross-over adaptor for reversing the electrical connection of outer and inner coaxial coiled wire conductors is provided in the body of a pacing lead having a physiologic sensor incorporated therein so that the lead may be employed advantageously for conventional pacing functions with or without physiologic sensor function. In a specific embodiment, the adaptor is placed adjacent to a physiologic pressure sensor positioned in line in the lead body between the connector end thereof and the distal pace/sense electrode end thereof. The physiologic pressure sensor possesses an elongated cylindrical outer housing and an axially oriented electrical feed-through to the active components thereof. The cross-over adaptor is coupled at one end thereof to the sensor housing and electrical feed-through and at the other end thereof to the inner and outer coaxial coiled wire lead conductors which extend back to the proximal end of the lead body and are electrically connected to proximal pin and ring connector elements.

Abstract: A cardiac pacing lead having a plurality of individually insulated conductors arranged as a multifilar coil. The lead includes a connector assembly and a ring electrode assembly, each of which are optimized for use in conjunction with conductors arranged in the form of a multifilar coil. The connector assembly takes the form of an in-line connector having a plurality of linearly arranged connecting surfaces, each coupled to one of the conductors in the multifilar coil. The ring electrode assembly is constructed such that it displays the same outer diameter as the pacing lead. In both assemblies, conductors are coupled by means of welds, rather than by crimping or swaging.

Abstract: A connector for use in conjunction with implantable, medical electrical leads, such as cardiac pacing leads. The connector is of the type known in the pacing industry as "in-line", and includes an elongated connector pin and a cylindrical connector ring, spaced longitudinally from one another, and separated by an insulative segment. The connector pin is adapted to rotate within the connector, in order to transmit torque down the body of the electrical lead to activate a fixation device or other apparatus. Surrounding the connector pin is an elongated bearing sleeve which engages an elongated, reduced diameter segment of the connector pin. The connector pin is provided with circumferential shoulders at the proximal and distal ends of the reduced diameter portion of the pin, which in turn engage the bearing sleeve.

Abstract: A cardiac pacing lead having a plurality of individually insulated conductors arranged as a multifilar coil. The lead includes a connector assembly and a ring electrode assembly, each of which are optimized for use in conjunction with conductors arranged in the form of a multifilar coil. The connector assembly takes the form of an in-line connector having a plurality of linearly arranged connecting surfaces, each coupled to one of the conductors in the multifilar coil. The ring electrode assembly is constructed such that it displays the same outer diameter as the pacing lead. In both assemblies, conductors are coupled by means of welds, rather than by crimping or swaging.

Abstract: A structure for use as an electrode on a pacing lead to be located some distance proximal to the distal end of the pacing lead. Two short lengths of wire having high electrical conductivity are cut to size. The coils of the outer conductor are welded together at the desired location of the ring electrode of the lead. The two short lengths of wire are welded to the outer conductor of the lead at the desired location of the ring electrode. An insulating sheath having an inside diameter close to the outside diameter of the outer conductor is slid over the outer conductor. The flexibility of the insulating sheath is sufficient to permit encasing of the two short lengths of wire, though the insulating sheath is caused to protrude at the two places directly over and corresponding to the two short lengths of wire.

Abstract: Ring electrode for a bipolar pacing lead where the ring electrode is secured to an outer coiled conductor by swaging the outer coiled conductor between the ring electrode and a swaging core where the distal end of the outer coiled conductor positions over the swaging core and into the ring electrode. The outer coiled conductor is mechanically swaged between the ring electrode and the swaging core resulting in a mechanical and electrical joint. Insulation extends over the outer ends of the ring electrode and yields a bond to the ring electrode having substantially the same outer diameter as the ring electrode.

Abstract: A microbe drain barrier for insertion in the drain of a sink or the like to prevent microorganisms from reentering the sink from the drain. The barrier includes a length of thin-walled heat-resistant, electrically non-conductive tubing having a heat conductivity in the axial direction of not more than about 3 Btu/hr/ft.sup.2 /.degree. F./ft. The barrier includes electric heating means for heating the tubing to an inner surface temperature sufficient to prevent the growth of microbes thereon. Connector pipes extend axially outwardly from the tubing for mounting the tubing in a drain pipe such that drainage through the drain pipe is required to pass through the tubing. The connector pipes are secured to the tubing by annular insulating rings which isolate the tubing and electric heating means from the connector pipes.