Texas Heart Institute

Intermedics Inc.

Sulzer Intermedics, Inc.

Maurice Alan Brewer

Mehdi Razavi

Christopher Alexander Arevalos

An introducer includes a sheath for introducing a catheter into a blood vessel at an insertion site and a plurality of electrodes on the sheath. The introducer also includes an impedance assessment unit connected to the electrodes. The impedance assessment unit includes a power source and a wireless transceiver and is configured to inject one of a predetermined current or voltage across a first pair of electrodes and to measure the other of the current or voltage across a second pair of electrodes. The impedance assessment unit also is configured to perform at least one: wirelessly transmit current and voltage values to an external apparatus for detection of a bleed, and compute an impedance based on the current and voltage and wirelessly transmit the computed impedance to the external apparatus for detection of the bleed.

Introducer sheath with electrodes for use in bleed detection

An introducer comprise a sheath for introducing a catheter into a blood vessel, a plurality of electrodes on the sheath, and an impedance assessment unit provided on the sheath and connected to the electrodes. The impedance assessment unit fixes one of a current or voltage across a first pair of the electrodes and measures the other of the current or voltage across a second pair of electrodes.

Introducer sheath with electrodes

A programmable pacemaker and program therefor are disclosed, wherein the pacer is programmed to operate in a first pacing mode whenever the measured atrial rate is less than a certain threshold switching rate R.sub.T, and to operate in a second pacing mode whenever the measured atrial rate is greater than the threshold switching rate R.sub.T. The threshold switching rate R.sub.T is varied based on either a programmed algorithm or the measured value of one or more sensed parameters. In another embodiment, a hysteresis is introduced, so that the rate at which the pacer switches back to its low-activity mode is lower than the rate that triggers a switch to the high-activity mode.

Adaptive mode switching in a rate-adaptive pacemaker and hysteresis for

An implantable endocardial lead with retractable fixation device. The fixation device comprises a sharpened helix which can be repeatedly both retracted within a distal end of the lead and displaced outside the lead. A threaded stylet passes through a lumen from a proximal end of the lead to the distal end of the lead, where the threaded stylet is screwed into a piston supporting the helix. When the helix is in an exposed position, torque can be transmitted from the proximal end of the lead through the distal end to the piston and thence to the helix to screw the helix into the endocardial tissue.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Maurice Alan Brewer