Abstract: An implantable cardioverter for providing cardioversion electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion and applying a pain alleviating therapy at an appropriate site in the patient's body prior to or in conjunction with the delivery of the cardioversion energy to the heart chamber to alleviate propagated pain perceived by the patient. The combined cardioversion and pain alleviating therapies are preferably realized in a single implantable, multi-programmable medical device or separate implantable cardioversion and pain control devices with means for communicating operating and status commands between the devices through the patient's body.

Abstract: An implantable system for infusing an agent into an organ containing an endogenous fluid, including an implantable reservoir for the agent and implantable first and second catheters implanted in the organ. An implantable pump transmits the endogenous fluid to the organ through one catheter and returns it through the other catheter. A predetermined quantity of the agent is added from the reservoir to the endogenous fluid to facilitate buffering and dilution of the agent before administration to the organ.

Abstract: A lead adapted to be implanted adjacent a spinal cord located within a spinal column of a vertebrate in order to facilitate stimulation of the spinal cord or adjacent tissue. An ultrasonic transmitter/receiver produces an ultrasonic sound wave that creates ultrasonic echo waves reflected from a predetermined portion of the spinal cord and generates a distance signal related to the distance between the transducer/receiver and the predetermined portion of the spinal cord. The distance signal is used to adjust the amplitude of an electrical stimulation signal that stimulates the spinal cord or adjacent tissue so that the value of the stimulation signal tends to remain uniform in spite of changes in the relative distance between the transducer/receiver and the predetermined portion of the spinal cord.

Abstract: A transcutaneous electrical tissue stimulator comprises an electrical tissue stimulation generator (10, 41) attachable to the human body and a remote controller (37, 40) therefor. Generator (10) includes a plurality of rigid printed circuit boards (73-75) having components (91, 92) mounted thereon, each circuit board (73-75) interconnected with flexible printed circuit board (76, 77) and terminal means (51-54) for delivery of electrical tissue stimulation to electrodes (12-15). Remote programmer (37, 40) comprises user controls (39) for control of generator (10, 41) stimulation mode or parameters via telemetric link (42d, 42a).

Abstract: A patterned electrical tissue stimulator includes a current source and analog multiplexers connected to an array of electrodes attached to the body. Microprocessor control of the multiplexer and the current source provides automatic selection of electrode stimulation pairs whereby spatial patterns of electrical stimulation are produced. Temporal summation and temporal patterns of electrical stimulus are provided through microprocessor control of the current source.