Presented herein are techniques for generating a stable reference clock for use by a short-range radio transceiver of an implantable component without the need for an X-tal oscillator within the implantable component itself. In accordance with certain techniques presented herein, the implantable component is in communication with a first external component via a closely-coupled link and in communication with a second external component via short-range radio link. The implantable component is configured to receive, from the first external component, signals via the closely-coupled link. The implantable component is configured to extract frequency information from these received signals and synchronize a carrier frequency of the short-range radio link to the frequency information extracted from the signals.

An ECT system capable of focusing the electrical signals on a specific portion of the patient's brain is provided. The ECT system includes a means of applying unidirectional electrical signals and asymmetric electrodes for focusing the signals on the patient. A method of titrating an electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) system and a method of operating an ECT system are also provided. The method includes setting an initial current value, administering an ECT signal to the patient, determining if the seizure threshold has been achieved, and repeating as necessary until the seizure threshold is achieved.

Semi-autonomous vehicle apparatus which is controlled by a plurality of control sources includes a vehicle which may function autonomously and apparatus for control of the vehicle by either an onboard driver or a driver not situated onboard. The vehicle may also be controlled by an off-vehicle computational device. Hierarchy setting apparatus determines which one or combination of the possible control entities take priority. Persons using the apparatus are identified by either a password or, preferably by providing identification based on a biologic feature. Management of impaired vehicle operators is provided for.

A medical system and method of communicating between a telemetry controller and medical devices is provided. Coupling coefficients between a primary coil of the telemetry controller and secondary coils of the medical devices differ from each other. A primary carrier signal is applied to the primary coil, thereby respectively inducing secondary carrier signals on the secondary coils. An amplitude of the secondary carrier signal is measured on each of the secondary coils. The envelope of each secondary carrier signal is modulated in accordance with data, thereby inducing modulation of the envelope of the primary carrier signal for the implanted medical devices. The secondary carrier signal envelopes are modulated based on the measured amplitudes of the respective secondary carrier signals.

A system, including: an implantable neural stimulator including electrodes, at least one antenna and an electrode interface; a radio-frequency (RF) pulse generator module comprising an antenna module configured to send an input signal to the antenna in the implantable neural stimulator through electrical radiative coupling, the input signal containing electrical energy and polarity assignment information that designates polarity assignments of the electrodes in the implantable neural stimulator; and wherein the implantable neural stimulator is configured to: control the electrode interface such that the electrodes have the polarity assignments designated by the polarity assignment information, create one or more electrical pulses suitable for modulation of neural tissue using the electrical energy contained in the input signal, and supply the electrical pulses to the electrodes through the electrode interface such that the electrodes apply the electrical pulses to the neural tissue with the polarity assignments designated by the polarity assignment information.

A medical system and method of communicating between a telemetry controller and medical devices is provided. Coupling coefficients between a primary coil of the telemetry controller and secondary coils of the medical devices differ from each other. A primary carrier signal is applied to the primary coil, thereby respectively inducing secondary carrier signals on the secondary coils. An amplitude of the secondary carrier signal is measured on each of the secondary coils. The envelope of each secondary carrier signal is modulated in accordance with data, thereby inducing modulation of the envelope of the primary carrier signal for the implanted medical devices. The secondary carrier signal envelopes are modulated based on the measured amplitudes of the respective secondary carrier signals.

Disclosed are systems and methods for use of an inductive link for a communication channel in a transcutaneous energy transfer system. An example system may include a resonant circuit associated with an external primary, a power transistor connected to the resonant circuit and configured to drive the resonant circuit with a first time-varying electrical signal having a frequency, and a power driver connected to the power transistor that is configured to set the frequency of the first time-varying electrical signal to a resonant frequency to enable power transfer from the external primary to an implanted secondary. The example system may further include a communication driver operatively connected to the power transistor and configured to encode the first time-varying electrical signal with a data signal by modulating an attribute of the time-varying electrical signal as electrical power is transferred from the external primary to the implanted secondary.

A system includes a controller module, which includes a storage device, a controller, a modulator, and one or more antennas. The storage device is stored with parameters defining a stimulation waveform. The controller is configured to generate, based on the stored parameters, an output signal that includes the stimulation waveform, wherein the output signal additionally includes polarity assignments for electrodes in an implantable, passive stimulation device. The modulator modulates a stimulus carrier signal with the output signal to generate a transmission signal. The one or more antennas transmit the transmission signal to the implantable, passive stimulation device such that the implantable, passive stimulation device uses energy in the transmission signal for operation, sets the polarities for the electrodes in the implantable, passive stimulation device based on the encoded polarity assignments, generates electrical pulses using the stimulation waveform, and applies the electrical pulses to excitable tissue.

An example of a method embodiment may include receiving a user programmable neural stimulation (NS) dose for an intermittent neural stimulation (INS) therapy, and delivering the INS therapy with the user programmable NS dose to an autonomic neural target of a patient. Delivering the INS therapy may include delivering NS bursts, and delivering the NS bursts may include delivering a number of NS pulses per cardiac cycle during a portion of the cardiac cycles and not delivering NS pulses during a remaining portion of the cardiac cycles. The method may further include sensing cardiac events within the cardiac cycles, and controlling delivery of the user programmable NS dose of INS therapy using the sensed cardiac events to time delivery of the number of NS pulses per cardiac cycle to provide the user programmable NS dose. The user programmable NS dose may determine the number of NS pulses per cardiac cycle.

Described herein are methods, devices, and systems for providing an implantable leadless pacemaker (LP) with a remote follow-up capability whereby the LP can provide diagnostic information to an external device that is incapable of programming the LP, wherein the LP includes two or more implantable electrodes used to output both pacing pulses and conductive communication pulses. Such a method can include the LP monitoring for a presence of one or more notification conditions associated with the LP and/or associated with a patient within which the LP is implanted, and the LP periodically outputting an advertisement sequence of pulses, using at least implantable electrodes of the LP, irrespective of whether the LP recognizes the presence of at least one notification condition. The method can also include the LP recognizing the presence of at least one notification condition, and based thereon, the LP also outputting a notification sequence of pulses.