Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Professional, Inc.

I.l. Med., Inc.

Alan Coombes

Stanley P Mickiewicz

Igino Lombardo

Eric J Brown

Richard M Thomas

Stanley P Mickewicz

A catheter-based physiological pressure sensing device, which can be calibrated in vivo, is disposed in the distal end of a catheter, and is preferably in the form of a bulb-like device. The pressure sensing device includes a pressure sensor tip and pressure sensor element disposed in the pressure sensor tip. The pressure sensor element has first and second opposing surfaces which form separate and isolatable first and second chambers. An aperture is formed in an external wall of the pressure sensor tip to provide a passageway into the first chamber and expose the first surface of the pressure sensor element to a physiological pressure. A blocking element, such as a balloon, is disposed in the first chamber and is adapted for selectively blocking the aperture. To measure a physiological pressure, the aperture is unblocked to allow an outside pressure into the first chamber and a reference pressure is presented to the second chamber so that the surfaces of the pressure sensing element can measure the differential pressure. To calibrate or zero the device, the blocking element blocks the aperture to seal the first chamber with respect to external pressure and a fluid at a known pressure is introduced to the first and second chambers. The pressure sensor element provides an output signal indicative of a zero offset pressure to a pressure monitoring circuit to calibrate, or zero, the sensor and enhance the accuracy of subsequent pressure measurements.

In vivo zeroing of catheter pressure sensor

Instrument panel for a laser control console

A transcutaneous nerve stimulation device is provided using a common controller for both output pulse production and treatment parameter display. The common controller, which preferentially takes the form of a programmed microprocessor, is connected by signal lines to both the pulse output circuitry and the display, which are controlled by time-sharing the signal lines. The controller is responsive to operator entered input signals for the calculation of output pulse characteristics and display parameters. During a majority of treatment time, the controller is providing signals on the signal lines for control of the display. The display signals are interrupted during timed intervals when output signals are produced.

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation device using a common controller for

A sentinel system is provided for a transcutaneous nerve stimulation device in which a sentinel pulse of known characteristics is produced at the device output prior to the production of a stimulation pulse. The output response is measured during the time of sentinel pulse production, and a sentinel warning signal is produced if an undesired output response is measured to alert the user to a potentially hazardous condition.

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation device with sentinel

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Hingham, MA, United States of America

Alan Coombes