Abstract: A device for maintaining or reestablishing a natural heart rhythm by generating an electrical stimulation signal. In particular a device in the form of an implantable heart pacemaker that displays at least one sensor arranged inside the patient's body for picking up a body-specific signal containing information concerning demand for heart performance, or another magnitude relevant to the heart. The device is characterized by the fact that connected downstream to the sensor is a processing unit that obtains from the measurement signal a body-specific rhythm signal whose periodicity is equal to or greater than the periodicity of the breathing activity, and thus lies above the periodicity of the heart activity, whereby the body-specific rhythm signal forms a control signal that influences the stimulation signal.

Abstract: An evaluation method of determining the time stationarity of measured physiological signals comprises the following steps:

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrically active implant with a plurality of energy-consuming components and an activation device designed to activate the implant. The electrically active implant is characterized by a deactivation device designed to deactivate the energy-consuming components of the implant, where the energy-consuming components of the implant can be deactivated during the implant's storage by means of the deactivation device, and, furthermore, characterized by a device for permanent storage of the implant-specific data.

Abstract: An electrically active medical implant has a circuit (5), at least one first battery (1) to supply low current, and a second battery (2) to supply high current into the circuit (5), and a control device (4) designed to disconnect the at least one first battery (1) from circuit (5), and to connect second battery (2) to circuit (5), where a capacitor (3) connected in a parallel arrangement with battery (1), where the capacitor can be charged by the first battery both during a first circuit status, during which the first battery is connected to circuit (5), and during a second circuit status, during which circuit (5) is connected only to second battery (2), where control device (4) again disconnects second battery (2) from circuit (5) at the end of the second circuit status, and connects the parallel arrangement consisting of first battery (1) and capacitor (3) to circuit (5) for further energy supply.

Abstract: A stent, in particular a coronary stent, for expansion from a first condition into an expanded second condition in which it holds a vessel in an expanded state, comprising a tubular body whose peripheral surface (1) is formed by a number of annular support portions (2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3) comprising bar elements (3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) which are connected in the longitudinal direction of the stent by way of connecting bars (4, 4.1, 4.2), wherein the bar elements (3.1) of at least a first support portion (2.1) and a second support portion (2.2) in adjacent relationship in a first direction (6.1) extend in a meander configuration in the peripheral direction of the stent and the connecting bars (4, 4.1, 4.2) to the second support portion (2.2) engage in the region of the turning points (5, 5.2, 5.3) of the first support portion (2.1), which turning points face in the first direction (6.1), wherein at least two adjacent connecting bars (4.1, 4.2) engage respectively in the region of a turning point (5.

Abstract: A stent, in particular a coronary stent, for expansion from a first condition into an expanded second condition in which it holds a vessel in an expanded state, comprising a tubular body whose peripheral surface (1) is formed by a number of annular support portions (2) comprising bar elements (3) which are connected in the longitudinal direction of the stent by way of connecting bars (4), wherein the bar elements (3) of at least a first support portion (2, 2.1) extend in a meander configuration in the peripheral direction of the stent and the bar element portions (3.1, 3.2) adjoining a turning point (5) are arranged in a V-shape in the first condition of the stent, and wherein the bar element portions (3.1, 3.2) of the first support portion (2.1) extend curvedly in a first direction (7) in the longitudinal direction of the stent.

Abstract: A stent, in particular a coronary stent, for expansion from a first condition into an expanded second condition in which it holds a vessel in an expanded state, comprising a tubular body whose peripheral surface (1) is formed by a number of support portions (2) which extend in the longitudinal direction of the stent and which comprise bar elements (3) which are connected by way of connecting bars (4), wherein there is provided a number of support portion groups (1.1) with at least a first support portion (2.1) and a second support portion (2.2, 2.3) in adjacent relationship in the peripheral direction of the stent, whose bar elements (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) extend in a meander configuration in the longitudinal direction of the stent, and wherein the first engagement points (4.1, 4.2) of first connecting bars (4) engage the first support portion (2.1) and the second engagement points (4.2, 4.4) of the first connecting bars (4) engage the second support portion (2.2, 2.

Abstract: An apparatus for the automatic performance of diagnostic and/or therapeutic actions in body cavities is provided with a base control unit, which is to be arranged extracorporally, and with a catheter-type actuator, which is coupled therewith and which is insertable in the corresponding body cavity and which, in the vicinity of its distal end, is provided with a diagnostically active detection equipment and/or a therapeutically active treatment equipment, and which, at least in the vicinity of its distal end, is provided with an actuation mechanism, which is triggered by the base control unit, for advance and/or twist and turn control of the actuator.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for crimping a stent onto a balloon of a balloon catheter. The stent is arranged on the balloon so that an outside surface of the balloon and an inside surface of the stent contact each other to form a combination of balloon and stent. The combination is compressed to crimp the stent onto the balloon. The invention is distinguished in that the combination is compressed to varying degrees along the longitudinal axis of the combination.

Abstract: An implantable pressure measuring device comprises

Abstract: A device for the therapy of supraventricular and ventricular bradycardial and tachycardial disrhythmias and/or for influencing the heart pumping force, including

Abstract: Device for maintaining or restoring a natural heart rhythm through the generation of an electrical stimulation signal, in particular in the form of an implantable heart pacemaker, which device shows two sensors arranged inside the body of the patient for picking up a body-specific signal that contains information concerning the demand for heart performance or another magnitude relevant to the heart. Connected to the downstream side of the sensors is a processing unit that obtains, from the temporal difference of a body-specific signal received one after another at both sensors, a body-specific time-delay signal, which represents the length of the determined time delay. The body-specific time-delay signal forms at least indirectly a control signal that influences the point in time and/or the time sequence of the stimulation signal.

Abstract: Tripolar stimulation of the heart utilizes electrodes implanted in at least two locations in the heart. In a first case, for bi-atrial or bi-ventricular stimulation, electrodes are placed in an appropriate heart chamber and in a blood vessel of the heart. In a second case, electrodes are placed in two separate locations in the same chamber of the heart. In either case, one location is for performing unipolar stimulation (i.e., has electrodes of only a singular polarity), while the other location is for bipolar stimulation (i.e., has electrodes of both positive and negative polarities).

Abstract: The invention concerns a sensor for obtaining information about the state of an organism for a medical therapy apparatus, preferably for a therapy apparatus for the electrostimulation or other treatment of the heart. The invention is distinguished by at least one sensor element for detecting molecular-genetic information. The invention further concerns a medical therapy apparatus having a sensor of that kind.

Abstract: A highly integrated electronic circuit is provided with a flexible substrate which has a component side and an insulating bottom side as well as with an arrangement, corresponding to the circuit function, of active and passive electronic components. These are mounted on bond pads of the substrate and connected by strip conductors, corresponding to the circuit function. The substrate is folded along a fold portion so that the sections of the substrate, which are on both sides of the fold portion and equipped with components, are approximately parallel and close to each other.

Abstract: A pacing electrode arrangement for stimulating the heart by means of an implantable pacemaker, comprising a first pacing electrode arranged in the vena cava superior and a second pacing electrode arranged in either the atrium, or a blood vessel near the heart other than the vena cava superior, or arranged at a distance from the heart, whereby the first and the second pacing electrode essentially enclose between them a predetermined, central region of the cardiac stimulus generating and conduction system.

Abstract: An arrangement for determining the heart rate (f.sub.RR) or the refractory ime of the cardiac tissue, particularly for detecting tachycardia or fibrillation, has an electrode (E) for sensing heart action signals (SIG), an input stage, connected to the electrode, for processing the heart action signals, a refractory member for ascertaining a refractory time value of the arrangement, in each case after a predetermined segment of a heart action signal, and a processing device, connected to the output of the input stage or of the refractory member, for determining the rate of the heart action signals, processed with blanking of the component that occurs during the refractory time, or for determining the refractory time value of the cardiac tissue.

Abstract: An apparatus for rejection diagnostics after organ transplantations is provided withan extracorporal base station with a high frequency transmitter and receiver unit, anda telemetric rejection sensor implantable in a patient's body, comprisinga high frequency receiver unit for receiving high frequency signals from the base station,a rectifier and decoder unit for converting the high frequency signals received into a supply voltage and control records for the rejection sensor,an energy storage for storing the supply voltage,a control unit for controlling the measuring processes within the apparatus,a sensor arrangement controlled by the control unit and to be brought into contact with the organ to be monitored and having measuring electrodes for measuring rejection-specific variables,an encoder unit for converting the measured variables into corresponding data signals, as well asa high frequency emitter unit for transmitting the data signals produced by the encoder unit to the extracorporal base station.

Abstract: An implantable device for at least temporary electrical contact with body tissue includes a stimulation electrode, a lead having a proximal end connected to a medical device and a distal end securely attached to the stimulation electrode and blocking means for holding the stimulation electrode in its position of contacting the body tissue, counter to a pulling force exerted by the lead. The blocking means is essentially rigid and is at least partially composed of a material that can be resorbed into body fluid. The blocking means includes a holder with a hole which is slipped or fitted onto a surgical thread thereby connecting the blocking means to the surgical thread.

Abstract: A method for processing a signal characteristic of cardiac activity in the atrium (A) and/or ventricle (V) of a heart (H) and for evaluating this signal with a view to obtaining a control signal for a cardiac pacemaker and/or defibrillator (3) can be carried out by: receiving a time dependent signal from at least one intracardial signal sensor (1, 2) in the atrium and/or ventricle; feeding the signal picked up by each signal sensor (1, 2) to a read and evaluation circuit (6) with a threshold characteristic; comparing the signals with a detection threshold; evaluating the result of the comparison to obtain an indication as to the presence of normal sinus-type cardiac activity or fibrillations; and producing the control signal, which characterizes the comparison result.