Texas Heart Institute

William Marsh Rice University

Baylor College of Medicine

University of California

The University of Texas System

Mathews John

Mehdi Razavi

Aydin Babakhani

Allison Davis Post

Yuxiang Sun

David Burkland

Brian Greet

Hongming Lyu

Malgorzata Chwatko

Razavi Mehdi

Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez

Ashley Rook

Thomas Wilems

Ronit Kar

Maryam Nuru

Skylar Jobe Buchan

Allison Post

Elizabeth Cossgriff-hernandez

A conductive hydrogel precursor solution cures after injection into the vasculature of the myocardium. The vasculature acts as a mold for the hydrogel and allows for a pacing signal to be conducted across the myocardium and not at a single point like traditional pacing leads. The catheter-based delivery can accurately place the hydrogels into the myocardial veins and can fill the venous tributaries. In situ crosslinking of the hydrogel precursor solution is achieved through several mechanisms, such as redox initiation by mixing a reducing reagent and oxidizing agent after injection. Conductivity is achieved by doping in conductive polymers or other conductive elements such as ionic species, metallic nanoparticles, or graphene nanoplatelets. To ensure long-term conductivity, hydrogel macromers may be synthesized without hydrolytically labile groups such as esters, and the conductive elements may be conjugated directly to the hydrogel matrix.

Electrically conductive hydrogels usable as lead extensions, apparatus for delivery of a hydrogel into the vasculature, and methods of treating ventricular arrhythmia with electrically conductive hydrogels injected in the venous system

An Example tool for implanting a pacemaker lead includes a body that includes a recess, a first electrical contact positioned within the recess, and a projection coupled to the body. In addition, the tool includes a second electrical contact positioned on the projection. The recess is configured to receive the pacemaker lead therein such that a first electrode of the pacemaker lead is to engage with the first electrical contact and a second electrode of the pacemaker lead is to engage with the second electrical contact. A rotation of the tool about a central axis of the pacemaker lead is configured to rotate the first electrical contact and the first electrode together about the central axis and to slidingly engage the second electrical contact along the second electrode.

Tools for pacemaker lead implantation

Systems and methods for heart stimulation in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes a heart stimulation system, including a first wirelessly powered, leadless pacemaker, including a wireless power receiver tuned to a first frequency, an energy harvesting circuitry, a stimulation circuitry, and a stimulation electrode, a controller, including a wireless power signal generator, a wireless power transmitter tuned to the frequency, a processor, and a memory containing a stimulation control application, where the stimulation control application directs the processor to generate a power transfer signal using the first wireless power signal generator, and transmit the power transfer signal using the wireless power transmitter, wherein the wirelessly powered, leadless pacemaker receives the power transfer signal using the first wireless power receiver, and when receiving the power transfer signal, the energy harvesting circuitry stores power received via the wireless power receiver in at least one capacitor.

Systems and methods for controlling wirelessly powered leadless pacemakers

Wireless treatment of arrhythmias. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: charging a capacitor of a first microchip device abutting heart tissue, the charging by harvesting ambient energy; charging a capacitor of a second microchip device abutting the heart tissue, the charging of the capacitor of the second microchip device by harvesting ambient energy; sending a command wirelessly from a communication device outside the rib cage to the microchip devices; applying electrical energy to the heart tissue by the first microchip device responsive to the command, the electrical energy applied from the capacitor of the first microchip device; and applying electrical energy to the heart tissue by the second microchip device responsive to the command to the second microchip device, the electrical energy applied from the capacitor of the second microchip device.

Systems and methods for wireless treatment of arrhythmias

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Mathews John