Medtronic, Inc.

Aga Ab

Michael R Ujhelyi

Rahul Mehra

Timothy G Laske

Mary M Morris

Daniel C Sigg

Michael E Leckrone

David E Euler

Kenneth Timothy Heruth

Xiaohong Zhou

Keith Robert Hildebrand

Nirav Vijay Sheth

Linda M Page

Xiaoyi Min

James R Keogh

Kenneth C Gardeski

Scott Eric Jahns

Michael R S Hill

George J Klein

Nancy Perry Pool

David S Olson

Jesus W Casas-Bejar

Nancy J Rakow

Douglas A Hettrick

Eduardo N Warman

James Kevin Carney

Michael F Hess

David Arthur Casavant

Adrianus P Donders

Mehdi Razavi

Paul D Ziegler

Kenneth M Riff

David E Ritscher

Royce S Fishman

Michael A Colson

Sarah Anne Audet

James A Coles, Jr

Janell M Gottesman

Shailesh K V Musley

Shailesh Kumar V Musley

Jesus W Casas

John W St Ores

Patrick M Mahoney

Clifton W Owens

Charles E Distad

Vadim Levin

Kenneth J Gardeski

A catheter body includes an exit port over which a pressure responsive sleeve is formed that allows material to exit a lumen of the catheter body at a given pressure. In one embodiment, a surface of the sleeve is approximately flush with a surface of the catheter body.

Sleeve valve catheters

Control of conduction through a heart is described. A lead with a proximal end and a distal end is provided. The distal end of the lead is inserted into a target area. An agent is delivered through the lead to the target area. Delivery of the agent is monitored via a closed loop feedback system.

Method and apparatus to control conduction through the heart to treat cardiac conditions

Methods and systems for transvenously accessing the pericardial space via the vascular system and atrial wall, particularly through the superior vena cava and right atrial wall, to deliver a pharmacologic agent, particularly a NO-donor drug, to the heart are disclosed. A proximal connector of an infusion catheter is coupled to an infusion pump, and a distal catheter segment having a distal infusion catheter lumen end opening is disposed in the pericardial space. The implantable infusion pump is operable in conjunction with an implantable ischemia monitor to monitor the ischemic state and trigger delivery or regulate the periodic delivery of the pharmacologic agent to optimally treat ischemia. The patient may operate a patient activator that the patient when feeling ischemia symptoms to transmit a signal that is received by the implantable infusion pump and triggers delivery of a bolus and/or continuous infusion.

Methods and systems for providing therapies into the pericardial space

A method and apparatus for accessing the pericardial space which provides for stable short term or long term placement of a delivery catheter or cannula having its distal most end located in the pericardial space. The catheter or cannula may be introduced into the pericardial space either transvenously through the wall of a heart chamber or transthoracically by penetrating the chest wall and the pericardium. Some embodiments are provided with a mechanism for stabilizing the distal end of the catheter or cannula, which mechanism may employ an extensible elastic, generally tubular member located at the distal end of the catheter or cannula. The device may be provided with a mechanism for extending the tubular member longitudinally, causing its diameter to diminish substantially. The tubular member may be passed through the wall of the heart or the pericardium in its extended configuration and thereafter, the distal-most portion of the tubular member may be moved proximally, causing its diameter enlarge, anchoring the distal end of the catheter or cannula to the pericardium or to the wall of a heart chamber. In these embodiments, the device is preferably provided with a shoulder or flange located proximal to the extendible tubular member, for location on the opposite side of the heart wall or pericardium from the distal end of the catheter or cannula.

Method and apparatus for providing intra-pericardial access

A sympatholytic cardiovascular agent delivered by a drug delivery pump to a central nervous system site to alleviate symptoms of acute or chronic cardiac insult or impaired cardiac performance. The drug delivery pump can be external or implantable infusion pump (IIP) coupled with a drug infusion catheter extending to the site. A patient activator can command delivery of a dosage and/or an implantable heart monitor (IHM) coupled with a sensor can detect physiologic parameters associated with cardiac insult or impaired cardiac performance and trigger dosage delivery. The IIP and IHM can be combined into a single implantable medical device (IMD) or can constitute separate IMDs that communicate by any of known communication mechanisms. The sympatholytic cardiovascular agent is one of the group consisting of an alpha-adrenergic agonist and an alpha2-adrenergic agonist (e.g., clonidine, p-aminoclonidine, guanabenz, lidamidine, tizanidine, moxonidine, methyldopa, xylazine, guanfacine, detomidine, medetomidine, and dexmedetomidine).

Delivery of a sympatholytic cardiovascular agent to the central nervous system

Methods and systems for transvenously accessing the pericardial space via the vascular system and atrial wall, particularly through the superior vena cava and right atrial wall, to deliver treatment in the pericardial space are disclosed. A steerable instrument is advanced transvenously into the right atrium of the heart, and a distal segment is deflected into the right atrial appendage. A fixation catheter is advanced employing the steerable instrument to affix a distal fixation mechanism to the atrial wall. A distal segment of an elongated medical device, e.g., a therapeutic catheter or an electrical medical lead, is advanced through the fixation catheter lumen, through the atrial wall, and into the pericardial space. The steerable guide catheter is removed, and the elongated medical device is coupled to an implantable medical device subcutaneously implanted in the thoracic region. The fixation catheter may be left in place.

Methods and systems for accessing the pericardial space

A method and system is provided for responding, from internally within a patient, to an atrial arrhythmia in a heart including measuring from within the patient at least one electrocardiogram characteristic indicative of the atrial arrhythmia, and controlling from within the patient drug therapy delivery to the patient responsive to measuring the at least one electrocardiogram characteristic. Drug therapy is initiated to the patient responsive to measuring the at least one electrocardiogram characteristic. According to one aspect of the present invention, the drug therapy is staged within the patient prior to measuring the at least one electrocardiogram characteristic. According to another example embodiment, the heart is paced from within the patient at a predefined rate responsive to measuring the at least one electrocardiogram characteristic, pacing occurring alone, or in combination with drug therapy.

Method and system for terminating an atrial arrhythmia

Methods for optimizing the atrio-ventricular (A-V) delay for efficacious delivery of cardiac resynchronization therapy. In CRT devices, the programmed A-V delay starts with detection of electrical activity in the right atrium (RA). Thus, a major component of the A-V delay is the time required for inter-atrial conduction time (IACT) from the RA to the LA. This IACT can be measured during implantation as the time from the atrial lead stimulation artifact to local electrograms in a coronary sinus (CS) catheter. Assuming that the beginning of LA contraction closely corresponds with the beginning of LA electrical activity, the optimal AV delay should be related to the time between the start of RA electrical activity and the start of LA electrical activity plus the duration of LA atrial contraction. Thus 'during atrial pacing' the IACT measured at implantation is correlated with the echocardiographically defined optimal paced AV delay (PAV).

Predicting chronic optimal A-V intervals for biventricular pacing via observed inter-atrial delay

A medical delivery system for delivering a fluid to a desired location within a body that includes a first member having an aperture, and a second member adapted to be positioned over the first member. The fluid to be delivered is contained within a fluid storage device, formed by at least one of the first member and the second member. The medical delivery system includes means for repositioning the first member relative to the second member between a first state preventing passage of the fluid through the aperture and a second state enabling passage of the fluid outward from the fluid storage device through the aperture.

Apparatus and system for delivery of drug therapies

A data collection system includes remote, implantable sensors for monitoring one or more patient parameters, collecting and processing data from those sensors and utilizing that data in the performance of a clinical study of a drug or other pharmacological agent. The system assists with preparation of a protocol for a clinical trial; presentation of that protocol; assuring compliance with the protocol; and generating useful results from data collected via the system and externally for presentation to an approval forum.

Integrated data collection and analysis for clinical study

An external surface of a catheter body includes a pressure responsive slit formed in an indentation wherein a wall thickness of the catheter body within the indentation is less than a wall thickness of a major portion of the catheter body. Material exits a lumen of the catheter body, via the pressure responsive slit, when a pressure inside the lumen exceeds an external pressure.

Slit valve catheters

A method and system facilitates the access by a patient of implanted medical device related data for patient participation in their own clinical care and therapy. In an example embodiment, the method includes establishing a communications link between an implanted medical device and a data processor via an implanted medical device interface. Access to a secured database is obtained via the implanted device data processor using a set of patient identification data. A query is then submitted via the data processor to the secured database in response to input patient diagnostic data. Data received from the secured database is then displayed for use in a patient evaluation.

Method and a system for using implanted medical device data for accessing therapies

Methods for easing a patient's pain and anxiety from atrial or ventricular defibrillation are disclosed. The methods include causing the patient to inhale a medical gas prior to activation of a atrial defibrillation device or subsequent to activation of a ventricular defibrillation device. In the former case, the inhalation produces analgesia, anxiolysis or anterograde amnesia prior to, during and after the atrial defibrillation. In the latter case, the inhalation produces analgesia, anxiolysis or anterograde amnesia.

Methods for easing pain and anxiety from atrial or ventricular defibrillation

Growing community of inventors

Maple Grove, MN, United States of America

Michael R Ujhelyi