Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronic Vascular, Inc.

Charlene X Yuan

Trevor Huang

Tessy Kanayinkal

Warren L Starkebaum

Roland C Maude-Griffin

Lawrence Erickson

Luiz Geraldo Pivotto

Daniel Cheek

Craig D Petersen

Mark A Thompson

Jyotsna Ghai

Jianwei Li

Deanna S Lane

Lanchi T Le

Narayanan Ramamurthy

Colleen Lutz

Wei Qin

Colleen Luzt

Narayanan Ramamuthy

A method carried out by a system configured to analyze blood. The method includes causing a ferromagnetic object to move in a chamber housing blood after clot initiation has been implicated. Movement of the object in the chamber is detected. The detected movement of the object is correlated with clot retraction of the blood. In some embodiments, the stop of detecting movement includes allowing the object to drop from a raised position and detecting a drop distance of the object. In related embodiments, the step of correlating detected movement with clot retraction includes reviewing a trace generated by a plurality of drop distances over time. In yet other embodiments, methods of the present disclosure can further including evaluating platelet function of the blood based upon assessed clot retraction.

Systems and methods for assessing blood platelet function

Systems and methods to analyze blood or other fluid sample. The systems and methods utilize bi-directional magnetic forces to push or pull a magnetic object along a post in a chamber housing the fluid sample both before and after clot initiation has been implicated. The magnetic object can be threadably connected to the post. In other embodiments, the chamber is configured such that the magnetic object does not rotate but only slides along the post. Once a clot has been detected, the washer can be moved either up or down to apply either compressive force or strain within the clot, as desired, to evaluate elastic properties or firmness of the clot.

Systems and methods for controlling bi-directional forces for clot assessment

Aspects of the disclosure relate to clotting time tests detect clotting time based on the viscosity changes of a fluid sample, using a disk dropped within a test chamber containing the fluid sample from a disk maximal position to a disk minimal position, which is a point at which the disk settles within the fluid sample. Changes in the disk minimal position as multiple test cycles are conducted are used in assessing formation of a clot within the fluid sample. Methods of assessing such changes in the disk minimal position are disclosed.

Clot detection methods for clotting time testing

Systems, apparatuses and methods include evaluation the clotting time or strength of clotting in the presence of various clot-affecting reagents to obtain a profile of clot analysis for determination of bleeding complications. The various reagents may be included in a single cartridge for use in a blood clotting analysis device.

Apparatus and method for analyzing blood clotting

Activated clotting time (ACT) tests detect blood clotting time based on the viscosity changes of a test sample, using a ferromagnetic washer lifted to the top of a test chamber and then dropped from the top via gravity; a drop time greater than a preset threshold value indicates clotting of the test sample. Blood samples which have high levels of heparin usually produce very weak clots that may easily be destroyed by the lifting movement of the washer. But if the clot threshold is set low to detect the weak clots, false detections occur during early testing cycles when activators are not fully suspended during the mixing cycle. Improved algorithms for lifting the washer and adjusting over time enable accurate detection of weak clots.

Clot protection and detection algorithm for activated clotting time testing

The disclosure is directed to gastric stimulation programmers, stimulators and methods for controlling delivery of gastric stimulation therapy to maintain the efficacy of the therapy over time. Maintaining the efficacy of gastric stimulation therapy may be possible by implementing one or more anti-desensitization features in a gastric stimulation controller or stimulator. As electrical stimulation therapy is continuously delivered to a patient, the stimulated tissue may become desensitized to the electrical stimulation therapy such that the beneficial effect of the electrical stimulation is diminished. Once desensitization occurs, the affected tissue may not respond favorably to electrical stimulation therapy. Application of one or more anti-desensitization features to control gastric stimulation therapy may reduce or prevent desensitization and effectively extend the efficacy of the therapy over time.

Gastric electrical stimulation with lockout interval anti-desensitization feature

A formulation for use in an implantable infusion device includes between about 5 mg/ml and about 500 mg/ml (e.g., about 10-25 mg/ml) of a TNF inhibitor polypeptide, 10 mM-25 mM of a phosphate or citrate buffer, has an ionic strength of the combined buffer and an optional salt of the equivalent of about 0.1-0.2 NaCl (e.g., about 0.15 M), 5% to 10% of a carbohydrate (e.g., trehalose or sucrose), has a pH of between 6 and 7, is fluid at room temperature and at 37&#xb0; C., and has a viscosity of less than about 10 centipoise (e.g., between about 1 centipoise and 9 centipoise, between about 1 cp and about 5 cp, between about 1 cp and about 3 cp, or between about 1 cp and about 2.5 cp) at room temperature.

TNF inhibitor formulation for use in implantable infusion devices

Multi-zone falling washer blood clot detection

The invention includes systems, apparatuses and methods to evaluate the strength of clotting in addition to or separate from activated clotting time. The strength of clotting may be correlated with the amount of energy employed to move an object within blood. The strength of clotting may be correlated with the amount of time for fibrinolysis to occur. The strength of clotting may be determined by a system in which a ferromagnetic material is moved within blood.

Articles for testing a coagulation process in whole blood.

Membrane system for blood coagulation testing

Gastric electrical stimulation with multi-site stimulation anti-desensitization feature

Gastric electrical stimulation with therapy window anti-desensitization feature

A method and kit for testing a multi-channel blood-testing cartridge. In particular, blood-testing cartridges are tested with plasma samples with clotting times measured to indicate whether a batch of cartridges is suitable for testing the blood of a patient.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Charlene X Yuan