Medtronic, Inc.

Angeion Corporation

Mark A Stockburger

Frank R Dropps

Paul J Huelskamp

Roger W Dahl

John Charles Stroebel

Javaid Masoud

Todd A Kallmyer

Kevin K Walsh

James H Ericksen

Jean-Cheui Hsung

Randy Nelson

Xander Evers

A bus system is provided for implantable medical devices. The bus system provides for flexible and reliable communication between subsystems in an implantable medical device. The bus system facilitates a wide variety of communications between various subsystems. These various subsystems can include one or more sensing devices, processors, data storage devices, patient alert devices, power management devices, signal processing and other devices implemented to perform a variety of different functions.

Implantable medical device bus system and method

A method and device for transmitting a signal in an implantable medical device that includes a control unit and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned along a lead body. A connector block is positioned along an upper portion of a housing portion of the control unit, and a connector is positioned at a proximal portion of the lead body and is insertable within the connector block. A third electrode having a conductive element is positioned along the control unit in close proximity adjacent to the connector. The control unit transmits a signal between the first electrode and the second electrode and determines an alternate transmission path of the signal between the third electrode and one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode in response to the signal not being effectively transmitted between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Apparatus and method for transmitting an electrical signal in an implantable medical device

A tiered therapy cardiac detection system is provided for a medical device that senses cardiac signals representative of beat-to-beat intervals and delivers at least one therapy in response to a detected cardiac dysrhythmia corresponding to one of a plurality of programmed zones of heart rates. The detection system includes a global counter that counts at least all beat-to-beat intervals indicating a rate greater than a programmed threshold value representative of a minimum heart rate for delivering any therapy once an initial threshold condition is met. A plurality of window memories and parameter memories are provided in the device. Each window memory corresponds to a given one of the zones and stores an indication of whether each of a last N cardiac signals are within that zone. Each parameter memory corresponds to a given one of the zones and stores a programmed trigger value of the global counter required in order for a therapy in that zone to be delivered. Processing circuitry evaluates the global counter, the window memories and the parameter memories on a beat-by-beat basis and indicates that a cardiac dysrhythmia has been detected for a given zone if the global counter exceeds the programmed trigger value for that zone and the indications stored by the window memory for that zone satisfy a predetermined criteria.

Tiered therapy cardiac detection system having a global counter

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Rush City, MN, United States of America

Mark A Stockburger