Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronics, Inc.

Carl A Schu

Orhan Soykan

Paul J Huelskamp

Vincent E Splett

David L Thompson

Daniel R Greeninger

Linda L Ruetz

Martin T Gerber

Christopher M Hobot

VenKatesh R Manda

James H Ericksen

Mark L Haerle

Bryant J Pudil

Thomas Edward Meyer

Terrell M Williams

Warren L Starkebaum

Jennifer Heisel

Kimberly A Chaffin

Paul W Wacnik

Roland C Maude-Griffin

Deepak Ramesh Thakker

Eric Burright

Stephen A Howard

Cygni Chan

Lothar Krinke

Elizabeth D Firestone

Forrest C Pape

Devices, systems, and methods for quantifying applied pressure by a device against an area of tissue. In particular, the present technology is related to medical devices including an optical element with a fiber Bragg grating, systems including the medical devices, and methods of quantifying applied pressure by the medical device. In one embodiment, a medical device comprises an elongate body including a distal portion and a proximal portion opposite the distal portion, and an optical element located at the distal portion of the elongate body. In one embodiment, the optical element include an optical fiber with a fiber Bragg grating. In one embodiment, the medical device is part of a medical system comprising a control unit in communication with the medical device, the control unit including an optical interrogator in communication with the optical element and processing circuitry configured to receive data from the optical interrogator.

Optical force sensor with a catheter/sheath

A medical monitoring device for monitoring electrical signals from the body of a subject is described. The medical monitoring device monitors electrical signals originating from a cardiac cycle of the subject and associates each cardiac cycle with a time index. The medical monitoring device applies a forward computational procedure to generate a risk score indicative of hyperkalemia, hypokalemia or arrhythmia of the subject. The medical monitoring device can adjust the forward computational procedure based upon clinical data obtained from the subject.

Method and device to monitor patients with kidney disease

In some examples, the disclosure relates to a systems, devices, and techniques for delivering electrical stimulation therapy to a patient. In one example, the disclosure relates to a method including delivering a series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient. The series of pulses includes at least a first pulse of a first polarity, a second pulse of a second polarity, and a third pulse of the first polarity, where the first, second and third pulses are delivered in direct succession and in that order. The first and second pulses are separated by a first time delay and the second and third pulses are separated by a second time delay. In some examples, each of the first and second time delays depend on the frequency that the series of pulses are delivered.

Waveforms for electrical stimulation therapy

A dialysis device for operation in multiple modes and for maintaining a known gradient of potassium ion or other electrolyte between the blood of a patient and a dialysate fluid is described. The dialysis device is capable of being used for hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and the dialysis device is capable of operation with a dialysate purification unit outside of a clinical setting or with a supply of water that can be supplied in a clinical setting. The dialysis device has a composition sensor containing a potassium-sensitive electrode for measuring a potassium ion concentration in one or more of the patient's blood and the dialysate fluid and an infusate pump operated to adjust a potassium ion concentration in the dialysate fluid based at least in part on data from the composition sensor.

Multimodal dialysis system

The invention relates to a method and device for dialysis and or bulk fluid removal by generating a fibrosis chamber within a body cavity and performing dialysis or bulk fluid removal. An implantable medical device is described having a fibrosis chamber and a pump. A dialysis chamber and an optional electrodialysis unit can further be provided. An additional controller uses sensory feedback to regulate the fluid levels by altering the extracellular fluid retention within the fibrosis chamber. This device can be used for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease who may also be suffering from cardiorenal syndrome and hypertension.

Method and device to treat kidney disease

The instant invention provides a method for improving efficiency of RNA delivery to cells. The method comprises applying a low strength electric field to the cells and then after a certain time period, administering the ribonucleic acid sequence to the cells. Devices, kits, and RNA molecules suitable for delivery and devices suitable for practicing the disclosed methods are also provided.

Methods and devices for improved efficiency of RNA delivery to cells

A needle driver is described that can be used to drive a plurality of surgical needles into or proximate to tissue of a living body. The needle driver assists the surgeon in perforating the tissue, creating the tracts at a desired depth, and creating multiple tracts simultaneously. The needle driver is configured to hold the needles securely when creating the tracts, and is also configured to disengage from the needles after the tracts have been created.

Surgical needle driver

The operation of an implantable medical device executing at least one set of firmware code is modified using a hardware/firmware trap at a point of execution of the set of firmware code. A patch code for directing the implantable medical device to perform a particular task is provided for execution when the trap generates an interrupt. The operation thereafter returns to the point of execution of the set of firmware code where the interrupt was generated and execution of the set of firmware code continues in a normal manner.

Method and apparatus for hardware/firmware trap

A method and an apparatus for synchronizing clock domains. A slow clock signal is received. A circuit in a slow clock domain is operated based upon the slow clock signal. A fast clock signal is received. The slow clock signal is synchronized using the fast clock signal. The operation of the circuit is modified from the slow clock domain to the fast clock domain, modifying the operation comprising changing a clock operation frequency during a non-transition period of the slow clock.

Method and apparatus for synchronization of clock domains

A method and an apparatus for a hardware/firmware trap. At least one set of a firmware code is executed for operation of the device. Modification to the operation of the device is performed. The modification to the operation comprises: receiving a patch code; creating a firmware trap; generating an interrupt in response to the firmware trap; and executing the patch code in response to the interrupt.

A system for minimizing power dissipation within an implantable medical device through use of adiabatic logic is disclosed. The system includes a first and a second sub-circuit of the implantable medical device. An electrical connection interconnects the first and the second sub-circuits, the electrical connection including a capacitive element. Circuitry, which charges the capacitive element of the electrical connection to generate a ramp logic signal, is connected to the capacitive element. The ramp logic signal includes a frequency of less than 500 kilohertz, thereby creating a low frequency, low power system which reduces energy dissipation to the surrounding environment.

Power dissipation reduction in medical devices using adiabatic logic

Improved operating system architecture for an implantable medical device incorporating adiabatic clock-powered logic alone or in conjunction with conventional clocked logic or self-timed logic for reducing power consumption and increasing and improving processing capabilities is disclosed. The adiabatic clock-powered logic is employed to implement digital signal processors (DSPs) including analog to digital (ADC) signal converters, a state machine or the components of microprocessor cores, e.g., the CPU, arithmetic logic units (ALU), on-chip RAM and ROM and data and control buses, and other logic units, e.g., additional RAM and ROM, a direct memory address (DMA) controller, a block mover/reader, a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) calculator, and certain uplink and downlink telemetry signal processing stages. The adiabatic clocked CMOS logic is incorporated into the same IC or ICs with clocked CMOS logic and provides manufacturing economies.

Implantable medical device incorporating adiabatic clock-powered logic

Improved operating system architecture for an implantable medical device incorporating self-timed logic for reducing power consumption and increasing and improving processing capabilities is disclosed. The self-timed logic is employed to implement digital signal processors (DSPs) including analog to digital (ADC) signal converters, a state machine or the components of microprocessor cores, e.g., the CPU, arithmetic logic units (ALU), on-chip RAM and ROM and data and control buses, and other logic units, e.g., additional RAM and ROM, a direct memory address (DMA) controller, a block mover/reader, a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) calculator, and certain uplink and downlink telemetry signal processing stages. The self-timed CMOS logic is incorporated into the same IC or ICs with clocked CMOS logic in a manner that minimizes the size of the clock tree serving the clocked CMOS logic, allows for efficient allocation of chip real estate, and provides manufacturing economies.

Implantable medical device incorporating self-timed logic

A method or apparatus for conserving power in an implantable medical device (IMD) of the type having at least one IC powered by a battery wherein, in each such IC, a voltage dependent oscillator for providing oscillator output signals at an oscillation frequency dependent upon applied supply voltage to the IC is incorporated into the IC. The voltage dependent oscillator oscillates at a frequency that is characteristic of the switching speed of all logic circuitry on the IC die that can be attained with the applied supply voltage. The applied supply voltage is regulated so that the oscillation frequency is maintained at no less than a target or desired oscillation frequency or within a desired oscillation frequency range. The power supply voltage that is applied to the IC is based directly on the performance of all logic circuitry of the IC. In order to provide the comparison function, the oscillator output signals are counted, and the oscillator output signal count accumulated over a predetermined number of system clock signals is compared to a target count that is correlated to the desired oscillation frequency. The counts are compared, and the supply voltage is adjusted upward or downward or is maintained the same dependent upon whether the oscillator output signal count falls below or rises above or is equal to the target count, respectively. The supply voltage adjustment is preferably achieved employing a digitally controlled power supply by calculating a digital voltage from the comparison of the oscillator output signal count to the target count, and storing the digital voltage in a register of the power supply.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Carl A Schu