Abstract: An apparatus adapted to be used in connection with an artificial heart assembly having a blood inlet conduit, a blood outlet conduit, and a pump that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit. The apparatus includes an internal coil adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject, an AC-to-DC converter that provides electric power from the internal coil to the pump, an external coil adapted to be disposed adjacent the internal coil and separated from the internal coil by the skin of a subject, the external coil being coupled to transmit electric power to the internal coil through the skin of the subject. A DC-to-AC converter is coupled to the external coil and to a source of DC power. The DC-to-AC converter selectively converts DC power from the DC power source into either a first frequency during a first period of time or a second frequency during a second period of time, the first frequency being different than the second frequency.

Abstract: With these devices a relative H F (high frequency) electric current applicable to the human body is generated by means of an active electrode and a neutral or return electrode, whose electrodes are connected to the transformer of the output stage of the corresponding circuit. The invention is characterised by the coil of the output transformer having on the secondary winding, besides connections for the end terminals for connecting the neutral or return electrode and an active metallic electrode with electrically insulating cover, an intermediate terminal for connecting an active metallic electrode without insulating cover, whose terminal is furnished with an adequate very reduced impedance with an average which adapts only and exclusively to the different sizes of said metallic electrodes without metallic cover which are used.

Abstract: An external power head is energized by a motor causing movement of an element that produces a varying magnetic field, thereby inducing power in an implanted receiver coil within a patient's body. The external power head includes either one or more moving permanent magnets, or one or more moving elements that vary the magnetic flux coupled to the implanted receiver coil. As a result of the varying magnetic field experienced by the implanted receiver coil, an electric current flows from the implanted receiver coil to energize an implanted medical device.

Abstract: An external power head is energized by a motor causing movement of an element that produces a varying magnetic field, thereby inducing power in an implanted receiver coil within a patient's body. The external power head includes either one or more moving permanent magnets, or one or more moving elements that vary the magnetic flux coupled to the implanted receiver coil. As a result of the varying magnetic field experienced by the implanted receiver coil, an electric current flows from the implanted receiver coil to energize an implanted medical device.

Abstract: Several embodiments of relatively compact transmitter coils and receiver coils having an improved transcutaneous power transfer efficiency. The transmitter coils are preferably applied to the outer surface of a cutaneous layer on a patient's body and held in place using adhesive tape or other appropriate supporting material. Implanted within the patient's body is a receiver coil. To improve the power transfer efficiency of one embodiment, a transmitter coil and receiver coil include cores having pole faces with a substantially larger area than the cross section of the core at other locations. In addition, the core of the receiver coil is substantially shorter than that of the transmitter coil so that the lines of flux produced by the transmitter coil tend to pass through the pole faces of the receiver coil in greater density than they would if the pole faces of the transmitter and receiver cores were spaced identically.

Abstract: A support sock is provided that stabilizes the ankle without the use of bulky bandages or specialized orthotic type shoes. The sock has elastic material around the ankle area extending down to the arch where the arch and instep are securely bound. The binding of these areas with elastic material restricts the foot of the user while not prohibiting movement. The sock can be worn with or without shoe gear.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliciting a physiologically significant cough reflex, such as in a quadriplegic patient. The apparatus preferably has at least one pair of electrodes which are positioned about or near the abdominal muscles. The user generates an input signal. The input signal and a stimulus pulse signal are computed into an output signal. Prior to the delivery of the output signal, alerting signals are delivered to the user to alert the user of an upcoming cough and the onset of pulse electrical voltage to allow the user to engage appropriate volitional activity to optimally engage and complete the cough. The output signal is transformed into a pulse electrical voltage which is delivered across each pair of electrodes. Such pulse electrical voltage activates the lower motor neurons and thereby contracts the abdominal muscles to elicit a physiologically significant cough reflex.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for electrically stimulating magnetotherapy to a living body. The apparatus comprises a permanent magnet and a coil of D-block transition metal surrounding the permanent magnet. A voltage is applied across the coil in a direction to enhance the magnetic flux in the permanent magnet. The negative charge of these free electrons is thought to attract the positive electromagnetic charge of the enhanced magnetic flux so a magnetic flux can be electromagnetically transferred with the electron flow through the permanent magnet and conductors through the terminals to enable the magnetic flux to pass to and through the living body. The circuit has an output circuit which will assist the flow of the magnetic flux through the living body. The output circuit has two coils which boost the magnetic flux to thereby assist the flow of the magnetic flux.

Abstract: A regenerative electrical stimulation device comprising a stimulator portion to be surgically implanted in patients and an external controller portion. The implanted stimulator portion provides electrical stimuli of selected parameters to damaged nerve tissue to stimulate regeneration and/or healing of the damaged nerve tissue. The external controller portion communicates with the implanted stimulator portion to turn the stimulator portion on and off, to change the parameters of the electrical stimuli, to recharge the batteries, and to monitor the status of the batteries. The implanted portion has an antenna coil, a receiver, a programmable control processor, rechargeable batteries, and a passive transmitter. The external controller portion has an antenna coil, a control processor, a transmitter, a receiver for receiving the data passively transmitted by the implantable portion, and a display means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliciting a physiologically significant cough reflex, such as in a quadriplegic patient. The apparatus preferably at least one pair of electrodes which are positioned about or near the abdominal muscles. A pushbutton switch is preferably used to generate an input signal. An oscillator is preferably used to generate a stimulus pulse signal. The input signal and the stimulus pulse signal are computed into an output signal. The output signal is transformed into a pulse electrical voltage which is delivered across each pair of electrodes. Such pulse electrical voltage activates the lower motor neurons and thereby contracts the abdominal muscles to elicit a physiologically significant cough reflex.

Abstract: Charging system for implantable hearing aids and tinnitus maskers with a repeatedly rechargeable direct voltage source. The charging system comprises an implantable receiving resonant circuit as the electrical energy source for the direct voltage source to be charged and a transmitting resonant circuit located outside the body that can be inductively coupled with the receiving resonant circuit for power transmission from outside the body to inside the body. Embodiments are provided for transcutaneous and for percutaneous power transmission between the implantable receiving resonant circuit and the external transmitting resonant circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for defining at least one variable parameter of an electrical pulse supplied from an RLC discharge circuit as an output to biological tissue, independently of the amplitude of the pulse, are disclosed wherein a measurement of the chronological spacing between two values of the pulse at different times is undertaken, and the chronological spacing is evaluated, with the result of the evaluation being used to define a parameter of the RLC discharge circuit.