| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080269818 | Non-Invasive Cardiac Potentiation Therapy - An external cardiac medical device for delivering Cardiac Potentiation Therapy (CPT). Techniques used with the device include initial diagnosis of the patient, delivery of the CPT, and configuration of the external device, so that CPT can be effectively and efficiently provided. In particular, these techniques include initially determining whether a patient should receive CPT, how to set the coupling interval for delivering CPT, how to configure the external medical device to deliver CPT stimulation pulses while not adversely affecting the device's ability to sense a patient's cardiac parameters and/or signals. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090171345 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASUREMENT OF AN IMPEDANCE USING A CATHETER SUCH AS AN ABLATION CATHETER - A catheter and patch electrode system is provided for use with an apparatus, such as an ablation generator, having a 4-wire interface for improved impedance measurement. The 4-wire interface includes a pair of source connectors across which an excitation signal is produced and a pair of sense connector wires across which the impedance is measured. The RF ablation generator may also produce an ablation signal across a source wire and an indifferent return patch electrode. The system further includes a cable that connects the generator to a catheter. The catheter includes a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, with an ablation tip electrode disposed at the distal end. A source lead is electrically coupled to the tip electrode and extends through the shaft to the proximal end where it is terminated. An optional sense lead is also electrically coupled to the tip electrode and extends through the shaft to the proximal end. The system further includes a source return (e.g., skin patch) and a sense return (e.g., skin patch), either or none of which may be combined with the indifferent return, and if used may be placed on opposite sides of the patient for improved performance. The impedance sensor circuit produces an excitation signal across the source connectors, which is then carried to the catheter by the cable, then to the tip electrode, travels through the complex load (tissue volume), and returns to the generator via a patch electrode. The impedance is measured by observing the voltage drop across the sense connectors caused by the excitation signal. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090275827 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE PROXIMITY OF AN ELECTRODE TO TISSUE IN A BODY - A method and system for assessing proximity between an electrode and tissue is provided. The system includes an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU is configured to acquire values for first and second components of a complex impedance between the electrode and the tissue, and to calculate an electrical coupling index (ECI) responsive to the first and second values. The ECU is further configured to process the ECI to determine the proximity of the electrode to the tissue. The ECU may be configured to calculate an electrical coupling index rate (ECIR) based on the calculated ECI and information relating to the change in location of the electrode, and to assess proximity based on the ECIR. Alternatively, the ECU may be configured to assess the proximity using the calculated ECI, as opposed to the ECIR. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20100152804 | SECURE AND EFFICACIOUS THERAPY DELIVERY FOR A PACING ENGINE - The above-described methods and apparatus are believed to be of particular benefit for patients suffering heart failure including cardiac dysfunction, chronic HF, and the like and all variants as described herein and including those known to those of skill in the art to which the invention is directed. It will understood that the present invention offers the possibility of monitoring and therapy of a wide variety of acute and chronic cardiac dysfunctions. The current invention provides systems and methods for delivering therapy for cardiac hemodynamic dysfunction via the innervated myocardial substrate receives one or more discrete pulses of electrical stimulation during the refractory period of said innervated myocardial substrate. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100168557 | MULTI-ELECTRODE ABLATION SENSING CATHETER AND SYSTEM - The invention is directed to a multi-electrode ablation sensing catheter and system suitable for medical procedures such as cardiac ablation. In one embodiment of the invention, a catheter is provided having an elongated catheter shaft and a catheter tip having two or more closely spaced electrodes mounted on the catheter tip, where the electrodes are coupled to a plurality of electronic circuitries and are used for electrogram sensing, impedance sensing, and location sensing and orientation. In another embodiment of the invention, a catheter system is provided having a catheter with an elongated catheter shaft and a catheter tip with two or more closely spaced electrodes mounted on the catheter tip, and an RF generator circuitry, an electrogram sensing circuitry, an impedance sensing circuitry, and a location sensing and orientation circuitry. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100168560 | Devices and Methods for Catheter Localization - A medical device can be localized by providing at least three non-colinear localization elements (e.g., electrodes) thereon. Once placed in a non-ionizing localization field, three adjacent localization elements, at least one of which will typically be a spot electrode, may be selected, and the non-ionizing localization field may be used to measure their locations. A cylinder is defined to fit the measured locations of the selected localization elements. The cylinder is rotationally oriented using the measured location of a spot electrode. Location and rotational attitude information may be used to construct a three-dimensional representation of the medical device within the localization field. The electrodes may be provided on the medical device or on a sheath into which the medical device is inserted. The invention also provides systems and methods for identifying and calibrating deflection planes where the medical device and/or sheath are deflectable. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100179444 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH ADAPTIVE SIGNAL PROCESSING AND ARTIFACT CANCELLATION - A medical device having a sensor sensing an n-dimensional signal during a first known variable condition and during a second known variable condition different from the first known variable condition, a processor performing principal component analysis (PCA) on the sensed n-dimensional signal to generate a first template corresponding to a principal component of variation associated with the first known variable condition and a second template corresponding to a principal component of variation associated with the second known variable condition, a storage device storing the first template and the second template, and a controller detecting a patient condition in response to the stored templates. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100179445 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH ADAPTIVE SIGNAL PROCESSING AND ARTIFACT CANCELLATION - A medical device includes one or more sensors used to acquire a multi-dimensional signal. In one embodiment, principal component analysis is performed on the multi-dimensional signal to produce signal data. The principal component analysis results are used to cancel signal artifact in one embodiment. A medical device controller produces one of a therapy control and a diagnostic output in response to the signal data. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100179611 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH ADAPTIVE SIGNAL PROCESSING AND ARTIFACT CANCELLATION - A medical device includes one or more sensors used to acquire a multi-dimensional signal. In one embodiment, principal component analysis is performed on the multi-dimensional signal to produce signal data. The principal component analysis results are used to cancel signal artifact in one embodiment. A medical device controller produces one of a therapy control and a diagnostic output in response to the signal data. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20110125150 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF ABLATION THERAPY - A system and method for assessing effective delivery of ablation therapy to a tissue in a body is provided. A three-dimensional anatomical map of the tissue is generated and displayed with the map defining a corresponding volume. An index is generated corresponding to a location within the volume with the index indicative of a state of ablation therapy at the location. The index may be derived from one or more factors such as the duration an ablation electrode is present at the location, the amount of energy provided, the degree of electrical coupling between an ablation electrode and the tissue at the location and temperature. A visual characteristic (e.g., color intensity) of a portion of the anatomical map corresponding to the location is then altered responsive to the index. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110160593 | INTRACARDIAC IMAGING SYSTEM UTILIZING A MULTIPURPOSE CATHETER - A three dimensional physiological mapping system utilizing an intracardiac echo catheter capable of being located in six degrees of freedom by a visualization, navigation, or mapping system. An echocardiography image of the intracardiac echo catheter may be projected within a geometric model of the visualization, navigation, or mapping system where the location of the projected image is adjusted in response to user input identifying a structure present in the echocardiography image and the geometric model. | 06-30-2011 |