Patents by Inventor Thomas H. Spear
Thomas H. Spear has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20230293892Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2023Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Amy E. THOMPSON-NAUMAN, Melissa G.T. CHRISTIE, Mark T. MARSHALL, Thomas H. SPEAR
-
Patent number: 11672988Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Amy E. Thompson-Nauman, Melissa G.T. Christie, Mark T. Marshall, Thomas H. Spear
-
Publication number: 20210379387Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Amy E. THOMPSON-NAUMAN, Melissa G.T. CHRISTIE, Mark T. MARSHALL, Thomas H. SPEAR
-
Patent number: 11065453Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Amy E. Thompson-Nauman, Melissa G.T. Christie, Mark T. Marshall, Thomas H. Spear
-
Publication number: 20190009080Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2018Publication date: January 10, 2019Inventors: Amy E. THOMPSON-NAUMAN, Melissa G.T. CHRISTIE, Mark T. MARSHALL, Thomas H. SPEAR
-
Patent number: 10080891Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Amy E. Thompson-Nauman, Melissa G. T. Christie, Mark T. Marshall, Thomas H. Spear
-
Patent number: 9750932Abstract: The disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus providing detection mechanism for lead-related conditions, including transient behaviors, on a conductive pathway of a medical electrical lead. In one example, a sense path arbitration module identifies a lead-related condition associated with a conductive pathway based on signal processing to identify transients emerging from a propagated signal. The sense path arbitration module may evaluate a plurality of conductive pathways of the medical electrical lead and arbitrates propagation of a sensed signal that is transmitted through the plurality of lead conductors based on the evaluation. Therapy delivery functions utilizing the medical electrical lead may also be controlled in response to the signal processing and identification of the lead-related condition on a conductive pathway.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Thomas H Spear, Nancy M Germanson
-
Publication number: 20170157395Abstract: An extra-cardiovascular medical device is configured to select a capacitor configuration from a capacitor array and deliver a low voltage, pacing pulse by discharging the selected capacitor configuration across an extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector. In some examples, the medical device is configured to determine the capacitor configuration based on a measured impedance of the extra-cardiovascular pacing electrode vector.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: Amy E. THOMPSON-NAUMAN, Melissa G.T. CHRISTIE, Mark T. MARSHALL, Thomas H. SPEAR
-
Patent number: 9539428Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a cardiac stimulus device lead having fault tolerance and fault isolation are disclosed. A medical electrical lead is provided according to one aspect. According to one embodiment, the lead includes a first conductor and a second conductor for transmitting an electrical pulse from a pulse generator. The lead further includes a switching mechanism, a first electrode, and a lead assessment circuit. The switching mechanism selectively couples the first conductor to the first electrode. The first electrode is decoupled during a test phase and the switching mechanism directly couples the first conductor to the second conductor. The lead assessment circuit processes a signal associated with the electrical properties of the lead to determine whether the lead is exhibiting a lead related condition.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2011Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Nancy M. Germanson, Thomas H. Spear, Patrick David Miller
-
Publication number: 20160121107Abstract: The disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus providing detection mechanism for lead-related conditions, including transient behaviors, on a conductive pathway of a medical electrical lead. In one example, a sense path arbitration module identifies a lead-related condition associated with a conductive pathway based on signal processing to identify transients emerging from a propagated signal. The sense path arbitration module may evaluate a plurality of conductive pathways of the medical electrical lead and arbitrates propagation of a sensed signal that is transmitted through the plurality of lead conductors based on the evaluation. Therapy delivery functions utilizing the medical electrical lead may also be controlled in response to the signal processing and identification of the lead-related condition on a conductive pathway.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2016Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M Germanson
-
Patent number: 9232898Abstract: The disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus providing detection mechanism for lead-related conditions, including transient behaviors, on a conductive pathway of a medical electrical lead. In one example, a sense path arbitration module identifies a lead-related condition associated with a conductive pathway based on signal processing to identify transients emerging from a propagated signal. The sense path arbitration module may evaluate a plurality of conductive pathways of the medical electrical lead and arbitrates propagation of a sensed signal that is transmitted through the plurality of lead conductors based on the evaluation. Therapy delivery functions utilizing the medical electrical lead may also be controlled in response to the signal processing and identification of the lead-related condition on a conductive pathway.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2012Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson
-
Patent number: 8855765Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to methods, devices and systems for detection of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. In accordance with the disclosure, a physiological waveform interpreter module embedded within the lead functions to sense the occurrence of a cardiac event and to generate a minimal impact signal. In an example implementation, the physiological waveform interpreter module is disposed proximate to the sensing site or vicinity of cardiac signals. The physiological waveform interpreter module transmits the minimal impact signal that may include one or more predetermined properties to a remotely located lead monitoring module upon sensing a cardiac event. The lead monitoring module receives and processes the minimal impact signal to determine whether a cardiac depolarization has occurred and simultaneously verify the integrity of the transmission medium.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson, Patrick D. Miller
-
Patent number: 8798751Abstract: The disclosure describes methods and devices for providing early indicators of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. Among other things, the methods and devices will detect, obtain, or provide indicators of static or intermittent disruptions in a conductive pathway of the lead based on changes in conductive continuity properties of a medical electrical lead. The conductive behaviors and properties will be managed to facilitate signal stability and fidelity. In some embodiments, the methods and devices may include functions to enable one or more of monitoring a lead's conductive pathway, detecting static and transient behaviors of the conductive pathway, stabilizing the monitored pathway, reconfiguring the pathway, and providing lead-related condition data to an associated implantable medical device. The early indicators may be generated in a real-time, continuous manner to provide early detection and notification of lead degradation.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson, Patrick D. Miller
-
Patent number: 8751000Abstract: Techniques are described for detecting lead-related conditions for implantable electrical leads. In some of the described embodiments, an implantable electrical lead assembly is provided with a coupling member for connecting a conductor and associated insulator(s) to an electrode/sensing element. The implantable medical device controls and performs a measurement of an electrical property of the electrical lead during periods when the conductor is decoupled from the electrode/sensing element. An indication of a lead-related condition is derived based on the measured electrical property. The lead-related condition may be associated with an insulator of a lead body of the electrical lead.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2013Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Patrick D. Miller, Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson
-
Publication number: 20140031660Abstract: Techniques are described for detecting lead-related conditions for implantable electrical leads. In some of the described embodiments, an implantable electrical lead assembly is provided with a coupling member for connecting a conductor and associated insulator(s) to an electrode/sensing element. The implantable medical device controls and performs a measurement of an electrical property of the electrical lead during periods when the conductor is decoupled from the electrode/sensing element. An indication of a lead-related condition is derived based on the measured electrical property. The lead-related condition may be associated with an insulator of a lead body of the electrical lead.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2013Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: MEDTRONIC, INC.Inventors: Patrick D. Miller, Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson
-
Patent number: 8577457Abstract: Techniques are described for detecting lead-related conditions for implantable electrical leads. In some of the described embodiments, an implantable electrical lead assembly is provided with a coupling member for connecting a conductor and associated insulator(s) to an electrode/sensing element. The implantable medical device controls and performs a measurement of an electrical property of the electrical lead during periods when the conductor is decoupled from the electrode/sensing element. An indication of a lead-related condition is derived based on the measured electrical property. The lead-related condition may be associated with an insulator of a lead body of the electrical lead.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2011Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Medtronics, Inc.Inventors: Patrick D. Miller, Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson
-
Patent number: 8463384Abstract: This disclosure relates to a medical electrical lead having fault detection and fault isolation. The lead may include a first conductor coupled to a first electrode and a second conductor coupled to a second electrode. A capacitor is disposed within the lead and selectively coupled to the first and second conductors of the lead. The capacitor is charged in a test mode of operation after the first and second electrodes have been isolated from the conductors via an isolation mechanism and the capacitor will discharge through the first and second conductors. The capacitor discharge morphology is processed to detect lead-related conditions.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2011Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Nancy M. Germanson, Thomas H. Spear, Patrick David Miller
-
Publication number: 20120316416Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to methods, devices and systems for detection of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. In accordance with the disclosure, a physiological waveform interpreter module embedded within the lead functions to sense the occurrence of a cardiac event and to generate a minimal impact signal. In an example implementation, the physiological waveform interpreter module is disposed proximate to the sensing site or vicinity of cardiac signals. The physiological waveform interpreter module transmits the minimal impact signal that may include one or more predetermined properties to a remotely located lead monitoring module upon sensing a cardiac event. The lead monitoring module receives and processes the minimal impact signal to determine whether a cardiac depolarization has occurred and simultaneously verify the integrity of the transmission medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2011Publication date: December 13, 2012Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson, Patrick D. Miller
-
Publication number: 20120316621Abstract: The disclosure describes methods and devices for providing early indicators of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. Among other things, the methods and devices will detect, obtain, or provide indicators of static or intermittent disruptions in a conductive pathway of the lead based on changes in conductive continuity properties of a medical electrical lead. The conductive behaviors and properties will be managed to facilitate signal stability and fidelity. In some embodiments, the methods and devices may include functions to enable one or more of monitoring a lead's conductive pathway, detecting static and transient behaviors of the conductive pathway, stabilizing the monitored pathway, reconfiguring the pathway, and providing lead-related condition data to an associated implantable medical device. The early indicators may be generated in a real-time, continuous manner to provide early detection and notification of lead degradation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2011Publication date: December 13, 2012Inventors: Thomas H. Spear, Nancy M. Germanson, Patrick D. Miller
-
Publication number: 20120197365Abstract: This disclosure relates to a medical electrical lead having fault detection and fault isolation. The lead may include a first conductor coupled to a first electrode and a second conductor coupled to a second electrode. A capacitor is disposed within the lead and selectively coupled to the first and second conductors of the lead. The capacitor is charged in a test mode of operation after the first and second electrodes have been isolated from the conductors via an isolation mechanism and the capacitor will discharge through the first and second conductors. The capacitor discharge morphology is processed to detect lead-related conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2011Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.Inventors: Nancy M. Germanson, Thomas H. Spear, Patrick David Miller