Greatbatch Ltd.

Medtronic, Inc.

University of Michigan

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

St. Jude Medical International Holding S.a.r.l.

Qig Group, LLC

Qingshan Ye

Robert A Stevenson

Warren S Dabney

Robert Shawn Johnson

Ryan Thomas Bauer

Christopher Michael Williams

Scott Brainard

Kishore Kumar Kondabatni

Jeff Fleigle

John Matthew Swoyer

Holly Noelle Moschiano

James Kevin Carney

Can Cinbis

Mark E Meyerhoff

Ryan Kenneth Buesseler

Jesse D Geroy

Michael A Schugt

John Jason Buysman

Gregory James Dakin

Mark C Kraus

Aaron Opbroek

Janson Lee Ayer

Victor Yevgenyevich Kotov

Larry Kane

Russ Terwey

Holly Noell Moschiano

Jeffery Zweber

A sensor coil assembly comprises a positioning sensor comprising a wound coil formed by a first conductive wire segment wound around a longitudinal axis. The first conductive wire segment can include a first coil end and a second coil end. A second conductive wire segment can extend from the first coil end of the first conductive wire segment. The second conductive wire segment can be wound around a first bobbin. A third conductive wire segment can extend from the second coil end of the first conductive wire segment. The third conductive wire segment can be wound around a second bobbin.

Sensor coil assembly

The present disclosure is directed to electrode assemblies, and specifically to struts comprising electrode assemblies and electrodes contained on the struts. The electrode assembly struts are constructed to have a low profile and to have superior strength over the length of the strut such that an electrode assembly including the strut is highly resistant to radial compression. The electrodes included on the low profile, high strength strut also is designed to have a reduced profile such that electrode assemblies including the strut and electrode can easily be used with 6 French and smaller guide catheter assemblies.

High strength electrode assembly for catheter system including novel electrode

A modified medical device substrate surface designed to improve adhesion of biomimetic surfactants to the medical device surface, thus reducing the risk of thrombosis is described. The surface modification is accomplished through either an application of a tie layer of a hydrophobic material on the substrate surface intermediate the biomimetic coating or through incorporation of a hydrophobic dopant in the polymeric substrate prior to extrusion or molding. Either method creates a hydrophobically modified surface that enhances the biomimetic surfactant bonding strength.

Surface modification for coating

A reinforced suture sleeve designed to cover and protect a medical lead from physical damage resulting from an over tightened suture is described. The reinforced suture sleeve comprises a metallic tubular insert with at least one slot that cut through the surface of the insert in a spiraled pattern. A biocompatible and pliable polymeric body is molded over the insert. The spiraled cut slot in the metallic tubular insert provides flexibility without degrading structural integrity. An alternate embodiment comprises a polymeric body provided with an embedded fiber mesh made of polymeric fibers, metallic fibers or combinations thereof. The fiber mesh prevents an over tightened suture from cutting through the suture sleeve and damaging the medical lead.

Reinforced suture sleeve

Methods and apparatus for implanting a neural stimulation lead in a patient's body are described. A lead assembly comprises a pointed-tip stylet, a stimulation lead, and an optional tube to deploy a fixation element attached to the lead. One embodiment of the implant methods starts with inserting the pointed-tip lead assembly directly into tissue. After the desired implant position is determined, the pointed-tip component is separated from the stimulation lead and removed from the tissue, leaving the stimulation lead implanted. After confirmation that the stimulation lead is in the right tissue location, the pointed-tip component is removed from the body, leaving the stimulation lead in place. The stimulation lead can be connected to a neurostimulator to delivery therapies to treat neural disorders, such as urinary control disorders, fecal control disorders, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic pain, etc.

Minimally invasive methods for implanting a sacral stimulation lead

Methods and apparatus for implanting a neural stimulation lead in a patient's body are described. A lead assembly for minimally invasive implantation of a stimulation lead comprises a pointed-tip stylet, a stimulation lead, and an optional tube to deploy fixation element attached on the lead. One embodiment of the implant methods starts with inserting the pointed-tip lead assembly directly into tissue. The desired implant position is determined by electric stimulation either through stimulation lead or the pointed tip. Afterwards, the pointed-tip component is separated from the stimulation lead and removed from the tissue, leaves the stimulation lead implanted. In one variation, a needle is inserted to identify the optimal stimulation site first, after mark the needle path and position, the needle is removed and a pointed-tip stimulation lead assembly is inserted along the needle path marked. After confirmation of stimulation lead in the right tissue location, the pointed-tip component of the lead assembly is removed from the body and leaves the stimulation lead in place. The stimulation lead can be connected to the neurostimulator to delivery therapies to treat neural disorders, such as urinary control disorders, fecal control disorders, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic pain, etc.

One or more inductors and one or more capacitors are physically disposed relative to one another in series and are electrically connected to one another in parallel to form a bandstop filter. Chip inductors and chip capacitors having spaced apart conductive terminals are physically arranged in end-to-end abutting relation to minimize electrical potential between adjacent conductive terminals. The bandstop filter may be hermetically sealed within a biocompatible container for use with an implantable lead or electrode of a medical device. The values of the inductors and the capacitors are selected such that the bandstop filter is resonant at one or more selected frequencies, such as an MRI pulsed frequency.

Capacitor and inductor elements physically disposed in series whose lumped parameters are electrically connected in parallel to form a bandstop filter

An introducer assembly includes a sheath and a dilator. A biodegradable shroud covers the distal portion of the introducer assembly on the surface of both the sheath and the dilator. The biodegradable shroud dissolves in blood after being exposed for a predetermined time. Afterwards, the dilator can be separated from the sheath without breaking the sheath. The shroud improves movement of the introducer assembly through a venous system by preventing body tissue from getting caught in the space between the dilator and the shroud, for example should a 'fish mouth' separation occur between them.

Biodegradable shroud for a dilator/sheath assembly

Devices and methods for measuring a target ion concentration uses an electrode pair. The pair includes a working electrode and a reference electrode. The working and reference electrodes are ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). The reference ISE can include a sodium ISE. The ISE pair interacts with body fluids where a target ion concentration changes more than sodium ion concentration over time. Some ISE membranes of a pair vary essentially only in the ionophore. An ISE pair can determine the ratio of a target ion concentration to sodium ion concentration in vivo. Periodic measurement of sodium concentration in drawn blood can be used to calibrate an ISE pair and provide target ion concentration as an output. Or, a potassium/sodium ISE pair beneficially monitors potassium concentration changes over time in heart- or kidney-failure patients. Then, manual or automatic titration of a diuretic material can be implemented to maintain a desired potassium concentration.

Ion sensor for long term use in complex medium

An improved splittable medical device introducer designed to introduce a medical device such as a lead or catheter, into a patient's vasculature without loss of blood or the introduction of air is described. The introducer assembly is designed to easily separate in a smooth tactile manner without disrupting placement of the medical device during removal of the introducer. The introducer is composed of a fluoropolymeric material which combined with an internal stress confining structure propagates a stress initiated by the operator that tears the entire introducer assembly in two without creating a jagged separated edge.

Splittable valved introducer apparatus

A medical device for implantation within a patient comprising a lead body including a conductor within the lead body and a transducer supported by the lead body. The conductor is electrically coupled to the transducer by a conductive fluid, paste or gel. The conductive fluid, paste or gel may be contained within a well in the lead body. The transducer may be a MEMS chip and/or an integrated circuit and may perform any of a variety of functions such as sensing physiological data.

Contactless interconnect for transducers

A rotating electrode configuration lowers the detection limits of polyion-sensitive membrane electrodes. Planar potentiometric polycation and polyanion-sensitive membrane electrodes were prepared by incorporating tridodecylmethylammonium chloride and calcium dinonylnaphthalene sulfonate, respectively, into plasticized PVC or polyurethane membranes, and mounting discs of such films on an electrode body housed in a rotating disk electrode apparatus of the type used in voltammetry. Due to the unique non-equilibrium response mechanism of such sensors, rotation of the polyion-sensitive membrane electrodes at 5000 rpm resulted in an enhancement in the detection limits toward heparin (polyanion) and protamine (polycation) of at least 1 order of magnitude (to 0.01 U/ml for heparin; 0.02 &#x3bc;g/ml for protamine) over that observed when the EMF responses of the same electrodes were assessed using a stir-bar to achieve convective mass transport.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Qingshan Ye