Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc.

Pacesetter, Inc.

United States Surgical Corporation

Other

Neothermia Corporation

Peter A Crosby

Ascher Shmulewitz

Richard M Lu

Bruce M Steinhaus

Tuan S Bui

Gordon Jacobs

Stuart B McConchie

Philip E Eggers

Tibor A Nappholz

John R Hamilton

Anthony J Ujhazy

Janice Nolan

An improvement is described to disposable devices for performing chemical or biological tests on a sample of fluid, and the method by which such devices perform tests. The power for the device comes from an electrochemical battery, where a portion of the fluid sample itself provides the electrolyte for the battery. Furthermore, the time of diffusion of the fluid into the battery provides the timing signal for activation of the system. Communication between the improved device and an information system is provided by a transponder system built into the device which requires no direct electrical connection. Rather, the device is placed in proximity with a reader which can interrogate the device, obtain the results of the test and if necessary provide power for the device to perform the test, and/or communicate the information. The improvements and methods are particularly applicable to devices for performing in vitro diagnostic tests on a sample of body fluid.

Devices for testing fluid

Methods and apparatus are provided for cauterizing predetermined volumes of abnormal biological tissue using a user selectable or adjustable energy applicator including two or more electrodes having electrode parameters configured cause cauterization of predetermined volumes when operated in a bipolar mode. The energy applicators are employed with a control device that couples the energy applicators to a power source and includes circuitry for interrupting activation of the energy applicator when the current between the two or more electrodes decreases more than a predetermined amount from the current sensed upon initial activation of the energy applicator.

Methods and apparatus for therapeutic cauterization of predetermined

An ultrasound imaging and biopsy system is provided in which an upper compression member of the system includes a thin, flexible, sterile and disposable membrane that compresses the tissue and permits a biopsy instrument to be readily inserted therethrough. In a preferred embodiment, a table is provided that houses an ultrasound scanning system beneath a sonolucent window forming a lower compression surface. Methods of using the system to perform real-time image-guided biopsy of tissue disposed on the window are also provided.

Apparatus and method for securing tissue during ultrasound examination

Apparatus and methods are provided for compressing biological tissue for use with a radiographic or sonographic imaging system that enhances imaging of the tissue near a patient's chest wall. The apparatus includes a compression assembly having first and second compression surfaces, and structure for positioning the first compression surface relative to the second compression surface so that the first and second compression surfaces experience a lateral translation as they move towards one another. In addition the first and second compression surfaces may be tilted slightly relative to a plane orthogonal to the patient's chest wall to enhance the traction effect and to provide partial imaging within the patient's chest wall.

Traction-inducing compression assembly for enhanced tissue imaging

Apparatus for conducting an imaging examination and/or biopsy of biological tissue that enable a patient to remain in an inclined, seated orientation, so that the tissue is readily presented for examination and biopsy, while the examination and biopsy site is screened from the patient's view. Apparatus also provided for enhancing imaging of the patient's tissue near the chest wall, and for conducting image-guided biopsy.

Sonography and biopsy apparatus

In a cardiomyoplasty system, a rate responsive implantable device is disclosed which controls the stimulation of both the heart and a myoplasty muscle. The metabolic demand is used as a rate response parameter and one or both of the heart and the muscle stimulation are increased with metabolic demand. Under certain conditions, for example, if the muscle is tired, its stimulation is maintained constant or reduced and the cardiac stimulation is used to compensate for increased metabolic demand.

Myostimulator control using metabolic demand and muscle performance

A cardiac stimulation system is provided which delivers long term cardiac therapy without a personal supervision by a physician. The system includes a cardiac stimulation device implanted in a patient and an external device in constant or periodic communication with the cardiac device. The external device is used to control the pacemaker operation. The external device receives updates of the condition of the patient and the operation of the cardiac device and the therapy provided by the cardiac device. This information is transmitted by the external device over a standard telephone network which may consist of hardwired network, a cellular network, or a combination thereof to a remote control device operating near the physician and/or a monitoring station used for monitoring and data logging information from a plurality of patients. The cardiac device, through the external device can also communicate directly and exchange information with the patient over an RF channel. Finally, the external device may be provided with ground position indication system for locating the patient geographically in an emergency.

Cardiac stimulation system with enhanced communication and control

A cardiomyoplastic muscle is stimulated electronically using a closed loop control system. As part of the system, a signal sensed the muscle which is characteristic of its condition. If this signal indicates an abnormal condition, then the stimulation of the muscle is modified accordingly.

Cardiomyoplasty simulator with feedback control

A clinical programming system is disclosed for use with an implanted cardiac pacemaker to automatically determine the minimum pacing energy which is necessary to evoke an atrial depolarization. The system utilizes a series of pacing pulses of progressively decreasing energies to stimulate the atrium and detects following R-waves. The absence of an R-wave indicates the loss of atrial capture.

Automatic atrial pacing pulse threshold determination utilizing an

A clinical programming system for use with an implanted cardiac pacemaker to automatically determine the minimum pacing energy which is necessary to evoke an atrial depolarization. The system utilizes a series of pacing pulses of progressively decreasing energies to stimulate the atrium, and detects an evoked response during the AV delay interval that follows each pulse. Initial P-wave intervals are subjected to morphological analysis to generate a P-wave template. Subsequent intervals are similarly analyzed and the results compared with the template. The absence of similarity with the template indicates the loss of atrial capture and that the minimum pacing energy has been reached.

Automatic atrial pacing threshold determination utilizing an external

A clinical programming system is disclosed for use with an implanted cardiac pacemaker to automatically determine the minimum pacing energy which is necessary to evoke a ventricular depolarization. The system utilizes a series of pacing pulses of progressively decreasing energies to stimulate the ventricle, and detects evoked responses through measurements of the integrals of the R-waves provided by a surface electrocardiogram. Upon loss of capture, the minimum pacing energy is a function of the energy of the last pacing pulse which evoked a ventricular depolarization.

Automatic ventricular pacing pulse threshold determination utilizing an

A facsimile machine which will print documents which have their corresponding edges aligned. Incoming data is stored in memory. A line of text, as it is bit mapped in memory, is identified. Line scans are taken through the upper and lower regions of the text line. Whichever group has the higher average density is the group associated with the tops of the characters. To print the document, data is read out of the memory in the order in which it was received, or in the reverse order, such that an 'up side down' document is reoriented. A determination of the order in which printing should take place is made without requiring the actual recognition of any characters.

Facsimile machine for printing documents all with corresponding edges

A dual-chamber metabolic demand, rate adaptive pacemaker that automatically calibrates the correlation between a metabolic demand measurement and an appropriate metabolic demand pacing rate according to the true physiological needs of the body, as determined by a patient's sinus rate when the natural sinus rate is functioning in a reliable manner in the absence of cardiac arrhythmia.

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Greenwood Village, CO, United States of America

Peter A Crosby