Abstract: A floatable park that includes a trampoline and a first inflatable object attached to the trampoline. The first inflatable object is constructed to support a human being thereon. The park is floatable on water.

Abstract: The method of generating a homograft includes preparing a prosthesis composed of a tubular substrate. The substrate is open at each end to permit blood to flow along the length of the substrate inside wall. The substrate is selected to have at least one thrombogenic surface or a thrombogenic mesh material supported by the substrate. The prosthesis is inserted in the lumen of a blood vessel, either a vein or artery, of a living body and anchored in the lumen of the vessel to prevent the substrate from moving along the vessel with the blood flow. The body generates collagenous growth on the thrombogenic surface of the substrate while the substrate is freely suspended in the blood flow of the vessel. The substrate is then removed from the vessel after which a tubular homograft of collagenous tissue is removed from the substrate.

Abstract: A process for providing a biological pacemaker for the human heart wherein the sino-atrial (S-A) node cells are removed from the heart and cultured to generate a critical mass of S-A node cells of sufficient quantity to generate a depolarization wave capable of stimulating the cells of the myocardium to ensure normal or near-normal pumping action in the heart. The critical mass of S-A node cells are then implanted in the myocardial tissue of the right ventricle to provide biological pacing for the heart which is sensitive to and variable with normal increase and decrease of output demands on the heart.

Abstract: This invention is described and illustrated in connection with the generation of a homograft composed of collagenous tissue generated on a prosthetic device. A tubular substrate having generally cylindrical outside and inside surfaces is suspended in the lumen of a blood vessel of a living body. The tubular substrate is open at each end to permit blood to flow over both the inside and outside surfaces. One of the surfaces of the substrate is a thrombogenic surface or supports a thrombogenic mesh material to promote growth of a tube of collagenous tissue suitable for use as a surgical graft. The substrate is suspended in the blood flow of a blood vessel by an anchor which permits the substrate to freely move within the lumen of the vessel but is anchored by the tether to prevent the substrate from moving along the vessel in the direction of blood flow. The collagenous tissue growth about the substrate is generally tubular and suitable for use as a surgical graft.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sensing the probable onset of ventricular fibrillation or other harmful tachyarrhythmias and delivering electrical cardioverting stimulation pulses in response thereto. The sensing of the onset of the harmful tachyarrhythmia is accomplished using two different types of sensors. The first sensing technique utilizes an intracardiac ECG observed within three dimensional space. Directional changes of the current vector within the intracardiac ECG are used to predict the onset of harmful ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The second sensing technique employs a chemically sensitive semiconductor device which measures the level of ionic potassium found within the intracardiac blood. Rapid changes in ionic potassium level are used to predict the onset of detrimental ventricular tachyarrhythmias. An implantable device uses both types of sensors in a programmable fashion to deliver cardioverting electrical stimulation pulses based upon the predicted onset of ventricular fibrillation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sensing the probable onset of ventricular fibrillation or other harmful tachyarrythmias and delivering electrical cardioverting stimulation pulses in response thereto. The sensing of the onset of the harmful tachyarrhythmia is accomplished using two different types of sensors. The first sensing technique utilizes an intracardiac ECG observed within three dimensional space. Directional changes of the current vector within the intracardiac ECG are used to predict the onset of harmful ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The second sensing technique employs a chemically sensitive semiconductor device which measures the level of ionic potassium found within the intracardiac blood. Rapid changes in ionic potassium level are used to predict the onset of detrimental ventricular tachyarrhythmias. An implantable device uses both types of sensors in a programmable fashion to deliver cardioverting electrical stimulation pulses based upon the predicted onset of ventricular fibrillation.

Abstract: A body implantable lead having multiple spatially displaced electrodes to facilitate the sensing of current vectors in muscle tissue. The lead employs three mutually orthogonal electrode pairs. Each electrode pair is capable of measuring current vectors within the muscle tissue in a different one of three mutually orthogonal directions. All six electrodes are mounted about a single cylindrical lead body. Each of the six electrodes is coupled to an in-line electrical connector at a proximal end of the sensing lead. Because the electrodes are relatively closely spaced on a convenient size lead, being of about 8-14 French in diameter, state of the art processing techniques are required to resolve the direction of current flow within the heart muscle.

Abstract: An electrode for a body implantable lead having a semiconductor surface for the coupling of electrical signals to the body tissue. A first approach uses several materials of differing conductivities. These materials are arranged in layers such that the material having the lowest conductivity is in direct contact with body tissue. The layers are then added in increasing order of conductivity. The intersection of two materials may be abrupt or may be a smooth transition fashioned by a combination of the two materials. The second approach provides an abrupt transition from the highly conductive materials within the lead body to a semiconductor material having direct exposure to the body tissue. The conductor within the body implantable lead is preferably fabricated using drawn brazed strand coils arranged in multifilar fashion. The conductor coils are insulated using a polyurethane sheath.

Abstract: Adhesive bonded positive fixation epicardial lead including an electrode support member for supporting an electrode and an adhesive which adheres the electrode support member and the accompanying electrode to an exterior wall of the heart. Surgical mesh can also be affixed to the electrode support member so that after decay of the adhesive, tissue ingrowth provides for adherence of the electrode support member to the tissue of the heart wall.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell in which the sealing material between the electrodes of the cell is impervious to liquid but permeable to hydrogen gas. The improvement in the cell construction is a shortened path through the sealing material to permit a continual and gradual discharge of the hydrogen gas generated in the cell and prevent a buildup of gas therein. The shortened path is affected by openings in the inner terminal member associated with the sealing material.

Abstract: An implantable electrically actuated medical device having gas storage characteristics in which the device includes one or more electrochemical cells and an operative electric circuitry mounted in a metallic container, all of which are positioned in a mounting member made of a material which is highly permeable with respect to hydrogen gas, relatively impervious to liquid and which bonds well with an epoxy resin encapsulant coating over the device. The mounting member may be foamed as it is molded to provide voids therein for storage of gas or the recesses in which the electrochemical cells are mounted may be supplied with sponge-like pads for absorbing excess gas until it can permeate through the encapsulant to reduce pressure build-up within the device and prevent cracking of the casing.