Research, Incorporated

Brownlee Labs, Inc.

Other

Research Company

Robert R Brownlee

G Frank Tyers

Carl Volz, Sr

Frank O Tyers

Paul H Neff

Howard C Hughes, Jr

Jeremy W Higgins

Jonathan Alexander Lee

A single pass lead system for defibrillating the heart is shown. Portion of the lead is relatively stiff and holds the lead in the SVC. This stiff section extends into the atrium where good contact with the electrodes on the lead are maintained by the lead stiffness. A very flexible distal portion carries defibrillation leads into the ventricle.

Shaped multiple electrode lead for implantable device

A replaceable cartridge column for use in high pressure liquid chromatograph pumping systems including a solid tube having a small bore therethrough carrying a packing material. The tube and terminated by a recess at each end which extends from the rim at the end of the tube inwardly and in communication with the bore. A plastic seal plug is disposed in the recess at each end to extend slightly beyond excess the length of the tube when so disposed and carries at its outer end a coaxial frit filter. The recess is provided with a flat bottom and the plastic plug has a corresponding bottom constructed to be positioned in face-to-face sealing opposition to fluid leakage and having further a flat sealing surface at its other end to engage a sealing surface of an end fitting of the liquid chromatographic pumping system and to provide a first, primary seal therewith independent of the rim of the column tube.

Cartridge for liquid chromatograph

A coupling for high pressure liquid chromatographic columns of any length, individually, or by union of two columns together, in which an end fitting carries a secondary seal together with internal means for retaining the seal in place. The end fitting is designed as a unitary assembly wherein the secondary seal is secured into the end fitting as a unitary assembly of parts without the use of screw threaded members. A special screw and nut configuration of end fittings permits the same design to be used for columns of extremely short lengths.

High pressure seal and coupling

A system for internally sensing the cardiac electrogram in a patient with a cardiac pacemaker is disclosed comprising an implanted electrode that, in combination with the metallic case of the pacemaker which acts as an indifferent electrode, senses cardiac electrical signals and provides them as an input to the pacer electronics. The sensing electrode is appropriately spaced from the pacing electrode and positioned so that cross coupling is minimized to permit sensing of the cardiac electrogram without undue interference from the pacing stimulus and after potentials, and so that the pickup of both R- and P-waves is optimized. The sensed signals may be used to control atrial, ventricular or multichamber demand pacemakers and/or may be telemetered out of the patient for pickup and analysis by external equipment. A flat plate and a preferred cylindrical ring form of electrode are described.

Pacer internal cardiac electrogram sensing system

Pump module for liquid chromatography for delivering the mobile phase to a separation column under high pressure including a cylinder containing a plunger and forming a syringe pump, a seal disposed between the plunger and cylinder, two positive action valves connect to the output of the pump either to a reservoir of said mobile phase or to a sample injection valve. The pump is dimensioned to accommodate most chromatographic analysis i.e. from about 10 ml to 40 ml.

Liquid chromatographic pump module

A complete system for telemetering and monitoring the functioning of an implanted pacemaker as well as controlling the testing of the functions from a remotely located central facility is disclosed specifically comprising the provision of capabilities for directly and simultaneously transmitting from the pacer, electrical signals indicative of multiple pacer functions such as pacer rate, cell voltage, refractory period, heart rate with pacer inhibited, R-wave level and sensing margin, sensing circuit and other component failure, cardiac electrode, lead break, and hermetic integrity. The indicative signals are picked up at the patient's location for local analysis and/or telephonically communicated to a remote central monitoring station. The central station may control testing of the pacemaker functions by transmitting command signals back telephonically for coupling through cooperating external and implanted inductances or mangetically controlled switches to the implanted pacer circuitry. Systems of particular value in pacers with single cell lithium iodide power sources are also provided for integrating pacer output pulse current and voltage and producing indicative signals which are telemetered to permit monitoring of cell and electrode pacing impedance. Additionally, provision is made for avoiding sensing of the electrode 'after potential' and for differentiating the refractory signal to produce a marker pulse in the telemetered signal. Improvements in the telemetry oscillator are also disclosed.

System for monitoring hermetic integrity, pacing pulse and load

A coupler or union for passing fluid under pressure from a column or tube in which the tube is received within a chamber in fluid communication through the floor within said coupler and forming a zero dead volume seal therewith, an annular recess in the coupler or union surrounding the tube or column and containing a balanced hydraulic seal in contact with the recess wall and tube or column and opening in communication toward said dead volume seal so that leakage from the latter under high pressure fills and activates the balanced hydraulic seal to the line pressure. The coupler or union is particularly applicable for high pressure liquid chromatograph column connections.

High pressure tubing coupler

Plastic seal plugs insert into each end of an elution column tube and are provided with flat gasket portions extending laterally to cover each tube end, a spring loaded hand-tightenable nut drives an end fitting from each end of a column holder extending alomst the length of the column to put the gasket portions and the tube in compression and create a seal between the end fitting, tube, at interposed gasket, the latter being entirely contained against cold flow or deformation by a close fitting recess in the end fitting which entirely captures the plastic gasket and tube end.

Cartridge type separation column and holder assembly for liquid

A complete system for telemetering and monitoring the functioning of an implanted pacemaker as well as controlling the testing of the functions from a remotely located central facility is disclosed specifically comprising the provision of capabilities for directly and simultaneously transmitting from the pacer, electrical signals indicative of multiple pacer functions, such as, pacer rate, cell voltage, refractory period, heart rate with pacer inhibited, R-wave level and sensing margin, sensing circuit and other component failure, cardiac electrode lead break, and hermetic integrity. The indicative signals are picked up at the patient's location for local analysis and/or telephonically communicated to a remote central monitoring station. The central station may control testing of the pacemaker functions by transmitting command signals back telephonically for coupling through cooperating external and implanted inductances or magnetically controlled switches to the implanted pacer circuitry.

Monitoring system for cardiac pacers

A system for extending the lifetime of an implantable cardiac pacer of the type having an internal primary battery power source includes an external energy transmitting source for selectively externally powering the pacer in order to reduce consumption of the internal battery power. While the pacer is operating on external power, current drain from the internal primary battery is reduced substantially to zero, thus extending useful battery life. The external energy source may include an electromagnetic energy transmitting coil, which transmits energy to an implanted energy receiving coil, the received energy being then rectified, filtered, and used to power the pacer. If a large-diameter energy transmitting coil is employed, the transmitting and receiving coils may be loosely coupled to provide a more convenient and easy-to-use energy conservation system. Alternatively, the external energy source may comprise a radio-frequency source, and transmitted radio-frequency energy may be received by an internal antenna which may comprise the cardiac pacing lead electrode system. The energy conservation system may also be provided with a secondary or rechargeable battery of lower energy capacity than that of the primary battery, which secondary battery may be repeatedly recharged from the external energy source to further extend the life of the primary source. In order to stabilize and reduce system current drain, a series-type voltage regulator may be provided between the primary battery and the pacer circuitry.

Cardiac pacer energy conservation system

A cardiac pacing apparatus of the type having a first signal processing channel which functions in the demand mode is disclosed including a second signal processing channel for detecting electromagnetic interference and causing the pacing apparatus to revert to a safe operating rate in the presence of such interference. In a preferred embodiment, the second signal processing channel has an enhanced high-frequency response with respect to that of the first signal processing channel in order to optimize interference detection. The second channel may receive an input from either a conventional cardiac sensing and pacing electrode, or else a second electrode, remote from the heart, may be provided for interference detection. When electromagnetic interference is detected by the second signal processing channel, an override of the conventional demand pacer inhibit function occurs and the pacing apparatus is switched to a safe operating rate, which may be either an appropriate predetermined fixed rate or a rate-limited rate synchronous with the detected electromagnetic interference. In an alternate embodiment, the gain of the second signal processing channel is reduced with respect to that of the first channel, and the pacing apparatus is switched to a safe operating rate upon the detection of electromagnetic interference having an amplitude level above that of natural cardiac signals.

Cardiac pacing apparatus with electromagnetic interference protection

A system for telemetering the performance of an implanted cardiac pacer incorporating a low power, low voltage, frequency-voltage sensitive pulse generator which supplies a pulse-interval-modulated telemetry output and includes an astable complementary multivibrator in combination with a voltage clipping feedback network.

Low current telemetry system for cardiac pacers

An hermetically-sealed cardiac pacemaker which may be operated on a single non-rechargeable cell or a magnetic-induction-rechargeable mercury cell that is hermetically sealed along with an outgas alleviating material in a separate container within an integral stainless steel outer case, which case also houses the system electronics. The integral case is formed with an opening in which a closure plate is disposed in a recessed position and sealed about its periphery to the interior of the opening to form a receptacle in the exterior of the casing. The receptacle is filled with a biocompatible material to isolate the seal from the exterior of the casing and the case acts along with the internal electronics during recharging as a charging current regulator system which maintains a substantially constant power transfer from the charging transmitter to the internal receiver despite variations in their proximate spacing.

Hermetically sealed cardiac pacer system and recharging system therefor

A cardiac pacer system includes a first relatively large contact area electrode for sensing cardiac activity and a second electrode of substantially smaller contact area than the first to apply artificial stimulating pulses to the heart. The first electrode has a sufficiently large contact area to achieve a relatively high sensitivity to cardiac activity and the second electrode has a sufficiently small contact area to generate a relatively high current density at the electrode-tissue interface when the artificial stimulating pulses are applied to the heart. The electrodes are supported in a spaced relationship by an electrically insulating spacer. Each electrode may be directly wired to an appropriate point within the cardiac pacer, and referenced to a common electrical return point by means of a third, common electrode. Alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be connected to the pacer with a single lead, with suitable decoupling circuitry between the single lead and each electrode. The third or common electrode may be eliminated by having the first and second electrodes each serve as a common electrode for the other, while employing suitable decoupling circuitry between the pacer and the electrodes.

Cardiac pacer system and method

A low current, low voltage impulse generating system for cardiac pacers using a complementary multivibrator in combination with an RC network which operates in an astable, supply voltage insensitive mode to produce fixed rate pacing pulses.

Growing community of inventors

State College, PA, United States of America

Robert R Brownlee