An intracardiac ventricular pacemaker includes a pulse generator for delivering ventricular pacing pulses, an impedance sensing circuit, and a control circuit in communication with the pulse generator and the impedance sensing circuit. The pacemaker is configured to produce an intraventricular impedance signal, detect an atrial systolic event using the intraventricular impedance signal, set an atrioventricular pacing interval in response to detecting the atrial systolic event, and deliver a ventricular pacing pulse in response to the atrioventricular pacing interval expiring.

An implantable system for treating a heart contains a processor, a memory unit, a treatment unit including a treatment electrode, and a detection unit for detecting a cardiac event requiring treatment. The memory unit includes a computer-readable program, which prompts the processor to perform the following steps: a) detecting by way of the detection unit whether a cardiac event to be treated has occurred in the heart; b) if a cardiac event to be treated has occurred, determining a position of the treatment electrode or determining a variable correlating with this position; and c) comparing the position of the treatment electrode or the variable correlating with the position to a reference variable, and carrying out, or not carrying out a cardiac treatment by way of the treatment unit and the treatment electrode as a function of the position of the treatment electrode or the variable correlating with the position.

A leadless implantable medical device (IMD) and method of using same are provided. The IMD comprises: a housing, a fixation element, electrodes configured to sense electrical cardiac activity (CA) signals over a period of time, an HS sensor configured to sense HS signals over the period of time, memory to store specific executable instructions, and one or more processors. The one or more processors and method: identify a characteristic of interest (COI) of a heartbeat from the CA signals, calculate a center of mass (COM) for at least one HS based on the HS signals to obtain a corresponding at least one HS COM, and calculate at least one of a therapy-related (TR) delay or a sensing-related (SR) blanking interval (BI) based on the at least one HS COM.

Devices, systems and methods provide forms of asymptomatic diaphragmatic stimulation (ADS) therapy that affect pressures within the intrathoracic cavity, including: 1) dual-pulse ADS therapy, during which a first ADS pulse is delivered during a diastolic phase of a cardiac cycle and a second ADS pulse is delivered during a systolic phase, 2) paired-pulse ADS therapy, during which a first ADS pulse is delivered, closely followed by a second ADS pulse, with the second ADS pulse functioning to extend or enhance a phase of a transient, partial contraction of the diaphragm, and 3) multiple-pulse ADS therapy, during which a stream of ADS pulses is delivered, wherein the time between pulses is based on heart rate. Devices, systems and methods also monitor electromyography (EMG) activity of the diaphragm relative to baseline activity to assess the health of a diaphragm subject to ADS therapy and to adjust ADS therapy parameters or sensing parameters.

Systems and methods are described herein for evaluation and configuration cardiac therapy. The systems and methods may monitor electrical activity using a plurality of external electrodes and may utilize multiple-electrode cardiac metrics such as electrical heterogeneity information, single-electrode cardiac metrics, and vectorcardiographic metrics to determine and select one or more paced settings from a plurality of different paced settings.

Systems and methods for controlling blood pressure via electrical stimulation of the heart are disclosed. Embodiments may include at least two different stimulation patterns, each configured to reduce blood pressure to a different degree, and may alternate between stimulation patterns based on the need of a patient, for example, alternating between day and night or between periods of strenuous and light activity. Some embodiments may take advantage of a slow baroreflex response that occurs after treatment is stopped, suspending treatment for extended periods, and then resuming treatment before blood pressure levels reach pretreatment values. Embodiments may control blood pressure by controlling atrial pressure and atrial stretch.

Systems, devices, and methods for tracking and determining the motion of a cardiac implant is disclosed. The motion of the implant is determined by transmitting acoustic energy to a tissue location using an acoustic controller-transmitter comprising an array of acoustic transducers; wherein the implant is configured to convert the transmitted acoustic energy to electrical energy; and the tracking is achieved by determining the electrical energy delivered to the tissue throughout one or more cardiac cycles in order to create a motion profile of the cardiac implant.

There is provided a method for controlling the movement of bile and/or gall stones in the biliary duct. The method comprises gently constricting (i.e., without substantially hampering the blood circulation in the tissue wall) at least one portion of the tissue wall to influence the movement of bile and/or gallstones in the biliary duct, and stimulating the constricted wall portion to cause contraction of the wall portion to further influence the movement of bile and/or gallstones in the biliary duct. The method can be used for restricting or stopping the movement of bile and/or gallstones in the biliary duct, or for actively moving the fluid in the biliary duct, with a low risk of injuring the biliary duct.

A method for treatment of cardiac problems includes performing modulation of a cardiac rhythm of a patient by increasing a number of heart beats the patient during time interval with high pleural pressure relative to the number during low (negative) pleural pressure, wherein an amplitude of the modulation of the cardiac rhythm between these segments is determined by severity of a respiratory effort and lung congestion of the patient.

Diagnostic apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, which are configured to be disposed at different, respective locations on a thorax of a living body so as to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves from different, respective directions toward a heart in the body and to output RF signals responsively to the waves that are scattered from the heart. Processing circuitry is configured to process the RF signals over time so as to provide a multi-dimensional measurement of a movement of the heart.