Medtronic, Inc.

Other

Donald R Johnson

Steven M Goetz

Jeffrey T Keacher

Andrew H Houchins

Theodore J Stone

Gary William King

Kenneth Timothy Heruth

Touby Austin Drew

Earle Timothy Roberts

Roy L Testerman

Shyam Gokaldas

Jeffrey David Wilkinson

Paul G Wassmund

Paul A Penrose

Techniques that involve application of one or more rules to a 'parent' program to generate a plurality of different 'child' programs are described. Each of the rules may define a respective electrode configuration modification, and each child program may be a variation of the parent based on a modification of the electrode configuration of the parent according to one of the rules. The systems or devices may generate further generations of child programs from a previous generation child program using the same one or more rules. The child programs may be provided to a user, so that the user may test the efficacy of the new programs, assisting the user in identifying desirable programs. The child programs may be relatively minor variations of the parent program, and the user may &#x201c;fine tune&#x201d; a generally desirable parent program by testing the child programs.

Rule-based stimulation program search

Techniques for increasing the safety of medical device programming using general purpose hardware, such as a general purpose personal computer, are described. In some embodiments, a system includes an intermediate computing device comprising an applications module. Information from the applications module, such as instructions for an implantable medical device (IMD), may be presented to a user via a user input terminal that is separate from the intermediate computing device. A user may interact with the user input terminal to select an instruction from the applications module, and the intermediate computing device may transmit the selected instruction to the IMD. In some embodiments, the intermediate computing device comprises a web server and the user input terminal comprises a web browser configured to access the web server. In other embodiments, the intermediate computing device comprises a client server and the user input terminal comprises a client.

Medical device programming safety

Techniques for increasing the safety of medical device programming using general purpose hardware, such as a general purpose personal computer, are described. Some embodiments include a watchdog module that is serviced by the general purpose hardware, a mediator module that monitors programming instructions from the general purpose hardware, and/or a safe mode input that may be activated by a user. In some embodiments, a system comprises an implantable medical device, an intermediate device, a computing device that communicates with the implantable medical device via the intermediate device. The intermediate device may provide any one or more of the safety measures described above. In some embodiments, the intermediate device is dedicated hardware, and critical programming functions are provided by the intermediate device, rather than the general purpose hardware. In some embodiments, an implantable medical device provides one or more of the above-discussed safety features, rather than a separate intermediate device.

Techniques for automatically generating neurostimulation therapy program groups are disclosed. The techniques may include receiving rating information and information describing actual therapy effects for a plurality of tested programs, and receiving target therapy data describing target therapy effects. The techniques may include automatically generating plurality of program groups based on the rating information and a comparison of actual effects to the target therapy effects. Actual effects and target therapy effects may be, for example, actual paresthesia areas and target paresthesia areas. The techniques may also include determining whether a sufficient number of programs have been tested to generate a desired number of programs groups and, if a sufficient number have not been tested, automatically generating additional programs based on the tested programs, and automatically generating program groups from the tested and automatically generated programs.

Autogeneration of neurostimulation therapy program groups

A method is provided, the method comprising controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism utilizing a priority inheritance protocol, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation. The device also comprises analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis, providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device and backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

Downloadable software support in a pacemaker

A bit for use with domestic riding animals, such as horses, has a mouthpiece including an arcuate portion curved in a plane oriented at between about 15 degrees to 75 degrees, and preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees, with respect to the jaw plane of the animal, and a pair of spaced apart cheekplates connected to the mouthpiece at slotted shank ends thereof. The cheekplates each include a central ring portion positioned along the major axis of the cheekplate having a rein slot; a shaft collinear with the major axis intersecting the ring portion; an integral bridle attachment at an end of the shaft; and an integral curbstrap attachment offset from the shaft intermediate the ring portion and the bridle attachment. The cheekplates are semi-rigidly connected to the mouthpiece by the engagement of the shaft with the slots and retained therein by a bolt and washer assembly such that each cheekplate can freely fit between about -5 degrees to +5 degrees about the major axis of the slot. The bolt and washer assembly provides for releasably connecting the cheekplates to the mouthpiece for replacing the mouthpiece as needed.

Horse bit assembly including an angled, configured mouthpiece and

Cutter for trimming ceiling paint

Putty holder

A novel punch for employment in a machine utilizing a punch ring containing a number of spaced, radially-arrayed holes in which the punches are secured, with the punch ring being used in cooperative relation with a die ring employing a number of dies corresponding to the number of punches used. During synchronous rotation of the punch ring and the die ring, each punch interacts each time with a corresponding die, with this arrangement making it possible for the edges of a continuous roll of paper or the like destined to be used in a computer or other type of business machine to be rapidly and effectively punched. Although interacting punch and die arrangements are well known, in accordance with this invention I utilize punches that have novel domed heads, with this doming advantageously making it possible for the increment of paper about to be punched to be stretched such that at the time the punch actually enters the die, the stretched piece of paper tends to pop away from the rest of the paper the instant it is punched, thus greatly diminishing the chance of 'hangers' being created, which would later tend to impair the action of the computer or business machine in which the paper is employed. The doming of the punches also serves the additional advantages of diminishing the chance that a new punch will be broken during its first encounter with its respective die, and minimizing the friction present between each die and punch combination during normal operation of the machine.

Growing community of inventors

Lino Lakes, MN, United States of America

Donald R Johnson