Fujifilm Sonosite, Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

Eric M Rieder

N Christopher Chaggares

Nicholas Christopher Chaggares

N Chris Chaggares

Randal C Schulhauser

Brian Bruce Lee

Craig L Wiklund

John E Nicholson

Bryan J Zart

Daniel A Lyons

Mark Son

Nicole M Haupt

Jon S Tracy

Randy C Schulhauser

Gary Stefanov

Frank Gonzalez

The disclosed technology features methods for the manufacture of electrical components such as ultrasound transducers. In particular, the disclosed technology provides methods of creating an ultrasonic transducer by connecting one or more multi-layer printed circuits to an array of ultrasound transducer elements. In one embodiment, the printed circuits have traces in a single layer that are spaced by a distance that is greater than a pitch of the transducer elements to which the multi-layer printed circuit is to be connected. However the traces from all the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit are interleaved to have a pitch that is equal to the pitch of the transducer elements. The disclosed technology also features ultrasound transducers produced by the methods described herein.

Methods for manufacturing ultrasound transducers and other components

A side-fire ultrasonic probe includes an alignment feature that, when used to connect the probe with a needle guide for intra-cavity medical procedures, enables alignment of a needle in an imaging plane of an ultrasonic transducer. The alignment feature is configured such that alignment of the needle within the imaging plane is accomplished when a protective sheath is disposed between the alignment feature and the needle guide. This configuration can be used with high frequency ultrasonic arrays having frequency distributions centered at about 20 MHz, and for medical procedures, such as biopsying organs or other bodily intra-cavity structures, and delivering intra-cavity therapies.

Ultrasound probe and aligned needle guide system

A high frequency ultrasound probe includes a substrate having a number of transducer elements on it and a ground plane that is electrically coupled by one or more vias to a conductive frame that supports the substrate. The conductive frame is electrically coupled to a ground plane of a printed circuit having conductors that are coupled to the transducer elements.

High frequency ultrasound probe

Ultrasonic probe and aligned needle guide system

A minimally invasive, implantable heart sound and ECG monitor and associated method for deriving blood pressure from heart sound data. The device is equipped with an acoustical sensor for detecting first and second heart sounds which are sampled and stored during sensing windows following R-wave and T-wave detections, respectively. ECG and heart sound data are stored in a continuous, looping memory, and segments of data are stored in long-term memory upon an automatic or manual data storage triggering event. Estimated blood pressure is calculated based on custom spectral analysis and processing of the first and second heart sounds. A calibration method includes measuring a patient's blood pressure using a standard clinical method and performing regression analysis on multiple spectral variables to identify a set of best fit weighted equations for predicting blood pressure. Concurrent ECG and estimated blood pressure may be displayed for review by a physician.

Apparatus and method for chronically monitoring heart sounds for deriving estimated blood pressure

An implantable medical device of the type formed of a hermetically sealed enclosure attached on a enclosure attachment surface thereof to a module attachment surface of a pre-formed header module is disclosed. The pre-formed header module is attached to the enclosure attachment surface through use of a retention structure extending away from the enclosure surface into proximity with a portion of the pre-formed header module when the enclosure and module attachment surfaces are aligned with respect to one another. The retention structure comprises a bendable member that is bent from an initial position allowing the pre-formed header module to be seated with respect to the hermetically sealed enclosure to a retention position making an attachment against a bend engaging portion of the pre-formed header module. The bendable member is the free end portion of an attachment tab having a tab base attached at a predetermined location of the hermetically sealed enclosure such that the upstanding attachment tab extends in a predetermined direction away from the enclosure surface and the free end of the attachment tab is bendable laterally with respect to the predetermined direction against the bend engaging portion. Adhesive is then applied to the retention mechanism and the space between the enclosure attachment surface and the module attachment surface.

Attachment apparatus and method for an implantable medical device

An implantable medical device including a hermetic housing containing an electronic circuit, such as a cardiac pacemaker. The electronic circuit may be coupled to a medical lead by means of a connector module which is formed as part of a molded, resilient shroud, extending around the circumference of the hermetic container.

Pacemaker

Growing community of inventors

Alton, Canada

Eric M Rieder