Disclosed are systems and methods for use of an inductive link for a communication channel in a transcutaneous energy transfer system.

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.

Systems, methods and devices, for stimulating one or more esophageal muscle contractions are provided. The system, methods, and devices may be designed to evoke motion and/or restore function in one or more organs that are located distal to the lower esophageal sphincter. A controller and a generator may be used to transmit signals to one or more electrodes in a tube placed in a patient's GI tract. In some aspect, the generator is configures to generate a series of pulses for one or more periods of time. In some aspects, a preliminary pulse is transmitted to narrow and esophageal portion such that an esophageal wall is in contact with at least one electrode thus lowering the nominal stimulation threshold.

External devices, methods for use therewith, and systems including an external device and an implantable medical device (IMD) are described. A method includes receiving at the external device, using each of first, second, and third subsets of at least three external electrodes, conductive communication pulses transmitted by the IMD, and determining, for each subset of the external electrodes, a respective metric indicative of power and/or quality of the conductive communication pulses received from the IMD using the subset of external electrodes. The method further includes identifying, based on results of the determining, a preferred one of the first, second, and third subsets of the at least three external electrodes, and using the preferred one of the first, second, and third subsets of the at least three external electrodes to receive further conductive communication pulses transmitted by the IMD.

Devices, systems, and techniques are disclosed for managing electrical stimulation therapy and/or sensing of physiological signals such as brain signals. For example, a system is configured to receive, for each electrode combination of a plurality of electrode combinations, information representing a signal sensed in response to first electrical stimulation delivered to a patient via a lead, wherein the plurality of electrode combinations comprise different electrode combinations comprising electrode disposed at different positions around a perimeter of the lead implanted in the patient. The system may also be configured to determine, based on the information for each electrode combination of the plurality of electrode combinations, values for a threshold at different locations around the perimeter of the lead and determine, based on the values for the threshold, one or more stimulation parameter values that at least partially define second electrical stimulation deliverable to the patient via the lead.

Methods and systems are described for managing synchronous conducted communication for an implantable medical device (IMD). The IMD further comprises electrodes and sensing circuitry. The sensing circuitry is configured to detect physiologic events. A receiver amplifier is coupled to the electrodes. The receiver amplifier is configured to receive conducted communications signals via the electrodes. A controller is configured to establish synchronous conducted communication with a transmit device. The controller includes a receive window timing (RWT) module configured to manage an on-off cycle of the receiver amplifier based on first and second receive window timing schemes. The RWT module switches between the first and second receive window timing schemes based on a condition of the synchronous conducted communication.

A system for the control of a medical implant in a mammal body is provided. The system comprises a first and a second part being adapted for communication with each other, in which system: the first part is adapted for implantation in the mammal body for the control of and communication with the medical implant, and the second part is adapted to be worn on the outside of the mammal body and adapted to receive control commands from a user and to transmit these commands to the first part. The second part is adapted to receive and recognize the control commands from a user as voice commands and is adapted to transform recognized voice commands into signals which are transmitted to the first part, wherein said second part comprise a learning device adapted to successively learn the voice commands and learn to combine with the right output command, and wherein said learning device is adapted to recognize approximate voice commands into a fixed defined output command, the first part is adapted to convey such signals to the implant, the voice commands comprise a complex of different frequencies translated into one fixed defined output command, and wherein the second part comprises a wireless remote control for transmitting the signals to the first part wirelessly.

A bridge device includes a housing, a plurality of electrodes exposed outside of the housing such that at least two of the plurality of electrodes can be concurrently placed in contact with a patient's skin. A controller is disposed within the housing. A first communications module is operably coupled to the controller and to the at least two of the plurality of electrodes. The first communications module is configured to allow the controller to communicate with an implantable medical device via at least two of the plurality of electrodes using conducted communication. A second communications module is operably coupled to the controller and is configured to allow the controller to communicate with a remote device external to the patient.

A medical device system for delivering a neuromodulation therapy includes a delivery tool for deploying an implantable medical device at a neuromodulation therapy site. The implantable medical device includes a housing, an electronic circuit within the housing, and an electrical lead comprising a lead body extending between a proximal end coupled to the housing and a distal end extending away from the housing and at least one electrode carried by the lead body. The delivery tool includes a first cavity for receiving the housing and a second cavity for receiving the lead. The first cavity and the second cavity are in direct communication for receiving and deploying the housing and the lead coupled to the housing concomitantly as a single unit.

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.