82 results about "Conduction pathway" patented technology

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective denervation of conduction pathways in the heart for the treatment of dysrhythmias, including one or more ablation or electroporation catheters having electrodes for stimulating, targeting, and ablating fat pad tissue and other cardiac tissue to selectively denervate heart tissue.

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective destruction or temporary disruption of nerves and / or conduction pathways in a mammalian body for the treatment of pain and other disorders. Apparatus comprises catheters having electrodes for targeting and affecting nerve tissue at a cellular level to reversible and irreversible nerve poration and incapacitation.

A method is described for fabricating a three-dimensional integrated device including a plurality of vertically stacked and interconnected wafers. Wafers (1, 2, 3) are bonded together using bonding layers (26, 36) of thermoplastic material such as polyimide; electrical connections are realized by vias (12, 22) in the wafers connected to studs (27, 37). The studs connect to openings (13, 23) having a lateral dimension larger than that of the vias at the front surfaces of the wafers. Furthermore, the vias in the respective wafers need not extend vertically from the front surface to the back surface of the wafers. A conducting body (102) provided in the wafer beneath the device region and extending laterally, may connect the via with the matallized opening (103) in the back surface. Accordingly, the conducting path through the wafer may be led underneath the devices thereof. Additional connections may be made between openings (113) and studs (127) to form vertical heat conduction pathways between the wafers.

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective destruction or temporary disruption of nerves and / or conduction pathways in a mammalian body for the treatment of pain and other disorders. Apparatus comprises catheters having electrodes for targeting and affecting nerve tissue at a cellular level to reversible and irreversible nerve poration and incapacitation.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices; in particular and without limitation, to unique electrodes and / or electrical lead assemblies for stimulating cardiac tissue, muscle tissue, neurological tissue, brain tissue and / or organ tissue; to electrophysiology mapping and ablation catheters for monitoring and selectively altering physiologic conduction pathways; and, wherein said electrodes, lead assemblies and catheters optionally include fluid irrigation conduit(s) for providing therapeutic and / or performance enhancing materials to adjacent biological tissue, and wherein each said device is coupled to or incorporates nanostructure or materials therein. The present invention also provides methods for fabricating, deploying, and operating such medical devices.

A method and system capable of identifying ectopic foci, rotors, or conduction pathways involved in reentrant arrhythmias within cardiac tissue, and then treating identified ectopic foci, rotors, and / or pathways with either lethal or sub-lethal temperatures. The system includes a medical device having one or more mapping elements and one or more treatment elements, and a computer programmable to identify ectopic foci and rotors based at least in part on signals received from the one or more mapping elements at one or more locations.

The invention provides apparatus and methods for mapping conduction pathways and creating lesions in the heart wall for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. The apparatus may include at least one epicardial ablation probe having a plurality of electrodes for creating a lesion. The apparatus and method facilitate the formation of a lesion which electrically isolates the pulmonary veins from the surrounding myocardium.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices; in particular and without limitation, to unique electrodes and / or electrical lead assemblies for stimulating cardiac tissue, muscle tissue, neurological tissue, brain tissue and / or organ tissue; to electrophysiology mapping and ablation catheters for monitoring and selectively altering physiologic conduction pathways; and, wherein said electrodes, lead assemblies and catheters optionally include fluid irrigation conduit(s) for providing therapeutic and / or performance enhancing materials to adjacent biological tissue, and wherein each said device is coupled to or incorporates nanostructure or materials therein. The present invention also provides methods for fabricating, deploying, and operating such medical devices.

Improved methods for forming multilayer circuit structures are disclosed. In some embodiments, conductive layers, dielectric layers and conductive posts can be formed on both sides of a circuitized core structure. The conductive posts are disposed in the dielectric layers and can be stacked to form a generally vertical conduction pathway which passes at least partially through a multilayer circuit structure. The formed multilayer circuit structures can occupy less space than corresponding multilayer circuit structures with stacked via structures.

The invention provides apparatus and methods for mapping conduction pathways and creating lesions in the heart wall for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. The apparatus may include at least one epicardial ablation probe having a plurality of electrodes for creating a lesion. The apparatus and method facilitate the formation of a lesion which electrically isolates the pulmonary veins from the surrounding myocardium.

The present invention provides systems and methods for assembling an electronic assembly using an anisotropic conducting membrane (ACM) as a component interconnect and a substrate embossed with placement cavities or a positional fixture to facilitate component placement on the substrate in the electronic assembly. The fixture may comprise multiple layers of interconnects to improve routing density for the electronic assembly enclosed in a housing. An alignment chain may be used to monitor positional and contact integrity of the ACM interfaced components in a complex assembly. The systems and methods allow components to be detached for reuse. Interconnection elements or conduction pathways at the components can be used to interconnect a plurality of neighboring substrates over the ACM layers into a stacked electronic assembly.

A method and system for ascertaining the condition of the heart's conduction system in a patient treated for congestive heart failure with pacing therapy. In accordance with the invention, changes in ventricular activation patterns are monitored over time in order to detect changes in the heart's conduction system that may occur due to physiological regeneration of conduction pathways. The activation patterns are reflected by electrogram signals detected from different ventricular locations. By measuring the difference in conduction times of an excitation impulse traveling from the AV node to the different ventricular locations, a parameter representative of the heart's conduction system is obtained that may be used to adjust the pacing therapy in accordance therewith.

Unique electrodes and / or electrical lead assemblies are provided for stimulating cardiac tissue, muscle tissue, neurological tissue, brain tissue and / or organ tissue; to electrophysiology mapping and ablation catheters for monitoring and selectively altering physiologic conduction pathways. The electrodes, lead assemblies and catheters optionally include fluid irrigation conduit(s) for providing therapeutic and / or performance enhancing materials to adjacent biological tissue. Each device is coupled to or incorporates nanotube structures or materials therein. Methods for fabricating, deploying, and operating such medical devices are also provided.

Selective sensing implantable medical leads include pulsing and sensing portions and pulsing and not sensing portion. Leads and electrodes may be used in defibrillation and as integrated bipolar defibrillation electrodes. An entire electrode can pass charge while a valve metal or valve metal oxide portion of the electrode prevents the entire electrode from sensing, effectively rejecting unwanted signals. Differential conduction pathways, due to the valve metal and / or oxides thereof, cause the portions of the electrodes to conduct differently when used anodically and cathodically. Complex intracardiac electrical gradient can be formed along with a number of virtual electrodes within the tissue. Reentrant loops can thereby be pinned following defibrillation shock.

In the field of release and pickup of ultrathin semiconductor dies, there is provided an active carrier (1) for carrying a wafer (20) and a method for using such a carrier (1). The wafer (20) comprises a particular die arrangement (P). The active carrier (1) comprises a base plate (2) and a number of energizers (7) constructed on or in this base plate (2). The energizers (7) are laid out in an arrangement corresponding to the die arrangement (P). The energizers (7) can locally energize an adhesive layer (3) in proximity to a selected die (14) from the die arrangement (P). By this local energizing of the adhesive layer (P), the selected die is loosened from the adhesive layer (3). Furthermore the active carrier (1) comprises a plurality of externally addressable contacts (12) and conduction pathways (9). The conduction pathways (9) connect the contacts (12) to the energizers (7) thereby allowing individual control over said energizers (7) by addressing said contacts (12).

A fluid applicator device having the interconnected components of a container, a base, a shaft, a piston, a collar, a plurality of fluid conduction pathways and an applicator head is presented. The applicator head is rotatably mounted within the collar and slidably held in place by the inner surface of the collar. The inner surface of the collar also has a plurality of fluid conduction pathways cut into it so that a viscous fluid confined within the container may be flow into the fluid conduction pathways and onto the applicator head so that it may be soothingly applied onto a portion of a user's epidermis such as onto the lips of a user. The method of using the applicator device includes the acts of manipulating, obtaining, pressing, removing, returning, rolling, and withdrawing.

A method and system for ascertaining the condition of the heart's conduction system in a patient treated for congestive heart failure with pacing therapy. In accordance with the invention, changes in ventricular activation patterns are monitored over time in order to detect changes in the heart's conduction system that may occur due to physiological regeneration of conduction pathways. The activation patterns are reflected by electrogram signals detected from different ventricular locations. By measuring the difference in conduction times of an excitation impulse traveling from the AV node to the different ventricular locations, a parameter representative of the heart's conduction system is obtained that may be used to adjust the pacing therapy in accordance therewith.

The regenerative potential of aged stem cells is enhanced by activation of the Notch signaling pathway and / or inhibition of TGF-β signaling pathway. Stem cells in aged tissues are capable of proliferation and tissue regeneration, but in their native setting are not provided with the appropriate signals to do so. By administering tissue regenerating agents, organ stem / progenitor cells are provided with the appropriate signals to regenerate the corresponding differentiated tissues.

Improved methods for forming multilayer circuit structures are disclosed. In some embodiments, conductive layers, dielectric layers and conductive posts can be formed on both sides of a circuitized core structure. The conductive posts are disposed in the dielectric layers and can be stacked to form a generally vertical conduction pathway which passes at least partially through a multilayer circuit structure. The formed multilayer circuit structures can occupy less space than corresponding multilayer circuit structures with stacked via structures.

The present invention provides systems and methods for assembling an electronic assembly using an anisotropic conducting membrane (ACM) as a component interconnect and a substrate embossed with placement cavities or a positional fixture to facilitate component placement on the substrate in the electronic assembly. The fixture may comprise multiple layers of interconnects to improve routing density for the electronic assembly enclosed in a housing. An alignment chain may be used to monitor positional and contact integrity of the ACM interfaced components in a complex assembly. The systems and methods allow components to be detached for reuse. Interconnection elements or conduction pathways at the components can be used to interconnect a plurality of neighboring substrates over the ACM layers into a stacked electronic assembly.

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective destruction or temporary disruption of nerves and / or conduction pathways in a mammalian body for the treatment of pain and other disorders. Apparatus comprises catheters having electrodes for targeting and affecting nerve tissue at a cellular level to reversible and irreversible nerve poration and incapacitation.

The present invention provides a fusion protein capable of blocking a PD-1 / PD-L1 signaling conduction pathway and activating T cells. The fusion protein comprises (i) an antigen-binding fragment derived from an anti-PD-1 antibody and / or an anti-PD-L1 antibody; (ii) an immunoglobulin Fc domain; and (iii) a CD80 extracellular domain (ECD). The present invention also provides a polynucleotide encoding the fusion protein, a vector comprising the polynucleotide, a host cell comprising the polynucleotide or vector, and a use of the fusion protein in individual treating, preventing and / or diagnosingdiseases related with PD-1 / PD-L1 signaling pathway activation and T cell function inhibition.

A handheld device measures all vital signs and some hemodynamic parameters from the human body and transmits measured information wirelessly to a web-based system, where the information can be analyzed by a clinician to help diagnose a patient. The system utilizes our discovery that bio-impedance signals used to determine vital signs and hemodynamic parameters can be measured over a conduction pathway extending from the patient's wrist to a location on their thoracic cavity, e.g. their chest or navel. The device's form factor can include re-usable electrode materials to reduce costs. Measurements made by the handheld device, which use the belly button as a ‘fiducial’ marker, facilitate consistent, daily measurements, thereby reducing positioning errors that reduce accuracy of standard impedance measurements. In this and other ways, the handheld device provides an effective tool for characterizing patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure, renal disease, and hypertension.

A handheld device measures all vital signs and some hemodynamic parameters from the human body and transmits measured information wirelessly to a web-based system, where the information can be analyzed by a clinician to help diagnose a patient. The system utilizes our discovery that bio-impedance signals used to determine vital signs and hemodynamic parameters can be measured over a conduction pathway extending from the patient's wrist to a location on their thoracic cavity, e.g. their chest or navel. The device's form factor can include re-usable electrode materials to reduce costs. Measurements made by the handheld device, which use the belly button as a ‘fiducial’ marker, facilitate consistent, daily measurements, thereby reducing positioning errors that reduce accuracy of standard impedance measurements. In this and other ways, the handheld device provides an effective tool for characterizing patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure, renal disease, and hypertension.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which can measure a time difference of motion between a plurality of sites of a cardiac muscle for the heart of a fetus is provided. On a tomographic image of the heart, a user sets a plurality of observation points. Each observation point is tracked, and a plurality of displacement waveforms representing a temporal displacement of the plurality of observation points are generated. A time difference between a plurality of representative points is calculated between the plurality of displacement waveforms. Such a time difference is displayed as a numerical value or as a graph. The representative point is a peak point, a zero-cross point, an inflection point, or the like. The plurality of observation points are set along conduction pathways in the heart for the electric signal.

A method and system capable of identifying ectopic foci, rotors, or conduction pathways involved in reentrant arrhythmias within cardiac tissue, and then treating identified ectopic foci, rotors, and / or pathways with either lethal or sub-lethal temperatures. The system includes a medical device having one or more mapping elements and one or more treatment elements, and a computer programmable to identify ectopic foci and rotors based at least in part on signals received from the one or more mapping elements at one or more locations.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices; in particular and without limitation, to unique electrodes and / or electrical lead assemblies for stimulating cardiac tissue, muscle tissue, neurological tissue, brain tissue and / or organ tissue; to electrophysiology mapping and ablation catheters for monitoring and selectively altering physiologic conduction pathways; and, wherein said electrodes, lead assemblies and catheters optionally include fluid irrigation conduit(s) for providing therapeutic and / or performance enhancing materials to adjacent biological tissue, and wherein each said device is coupled to or incorporates nanotube structures or materials therein. The present invention also provides methods for fabricating, deploying, and operating such medical devices.

An LED chip-containing photonic crystal side direction light extractor comprises a substrate, an n-pole area, an active layer and a p-pole area, wherein, an N electrode is arranged on the n-pole area; a P electrode and a current-diffusing layer are arranged on the p-pole area; and a protective layer is arranged on the current-diffusing layer. The chip is characterized in that: the photonic crystal side direction light extractor comprises a column array; the column arrays penetrate the p-pole area, the active layer and the n-pole area to the surface of the substrate; the photonic crystal side direction light extractor comprises the column array which is arranged on the circumference of the chip and a column array which is arranged in the middle of the chip; and the current-diffusing layer between the N electrode and the P electrode keeps an electric conduction pathway. As the photonic crystal side direction light extractor is arranged to revise the light angle, the chip further has the advantage that more lateral optical is project to the outside, thereby greatly improving the external quantum efficiency of an LED, overcoming the problems that the light taking efficiency of a chip is low; the stress is centralized; the calorific value is big; and the radiating effect is poor. Therefore, the produced LED has the advantages that the performance is stabler; and the luminance is even larger.

A physiological monitoring system features a Floormat and Handheld Sensor connected by a cable. A user stands on the Floormat and grips the Handheld Sensor. These components measure time-dependent physiological waveforms from a user over a conduction pathway extending from the user's hand or wrist to their feet. The Handheld Sensor and Floormat use a combination of electrodes that inject current into the user's body and collect bioelectric signals that, with processing, yield ECG, impedance, and bioreactance waveforms. Simultaneously, the Handheld Sensor measures photoplethysmogram waveforms with red and infrared radiation and pressure waveforms from the user's fingers and wrist, while the Floormat measures signals from load cells to determine ‘force’ waveforms to determine the user's weight, and ballistocardiogram waveforms to determine parameters related to cardiac contractility. Processing these waveforms with algorithms running on a microprocessor yield the vital sign, hemodynamic, and biometric parameters.