Ablation catheters and systems include coaxial catheter shafts with an inner lumen for delivering an ablative agent and an outer lumen for circulation of a cooling element about the catheter. Induction heating is used to heat a chamber and vaporize a fluid within by wrapping a coil about a ferromagnetic chamber and providing an alternating current to the coil. A magnetic field is created in the area surrounding the chamber which induces electric current flow in the chamber, heating the chamber and vaporizing the fluid inside. Positioning elements help maintain the device in the proper position with respect to the target tissue and also prevent the passage of ablative agent to normal tissues.

The present invention relates to methods for assessing swallowing motor function in a subject. The methods rely on obtaining intraluminal impedance and pressure measurements from the pharynx and/or esophagus of the subject during clearance of a bolus from the mouth and/or throat of the subject. The intraluminal impedance and pressure measurements are combined to derive a value for one or more pressure-flow variables in the pharynx and/or the esophagus of the subject. The value of the one or more pressure-flow variables is compared to a predetermined pharyngeal and/or esophageal reference value for the one or more pressure-flow variables in order to provide an assessment of swallowing motor function in the subject. The intraluminal impedance and pressure measurements can also be combined to generate a swallow risk index for the subject or to generate an obstructive risk index for the subject based on a combination of a value of more than one pressure-flow variable in the pharynx and/or esophagus of the subject. In this way, swallowing motor function in the subject can be assessed by comparing the swallow risk index or obstructive risk index for the subject to a predetermined reference swallow index or predetermined reference obstructive index, respectively. Products which make use of these methods are also encompassed by the present invention.

A multi-sensor system may include a catheter that has lumen, is flexible, is made of a polymer, and has a circular cross section that has an outer diameter of no more than 0.5 cm; and one or more sensors that sense multiple characteristics of material flowing within the lumen, including at least two of the following: flow rate, pressure, and composition of the material. A multi-sensor system may include a catheter that has lumen, is flexible, is made of a polymer, and has a circular cross section that has an outer diameter of no more than 0.5 cm; and one or more sensors that sense multiple characteristics of material flowing within the lumen, including at least two of the following: flow rate, pressure, and composition of the material.

Devices, systems and methods of neurostimulation for treating obstructive sleep apnea.

An implantable medical device for stimulating a human/animal heart having a stimulation unit which stimulates the His bundle and a detection unit which detects an electrical signal at the His bundle. The device performs: a) determining a first value of a parameter of a first measuring pulse measured between a first electrode pole and a housing; b) determining a second value of the same parameter of a second measuring pulse measured between the first electrode pole and a second electrode pole; c) comparing the first and second values; d) determining, based on the comparing step, whether the first or second measuring pulses enables a higher available level control range of the analog-to-digital converter; e) measuring an impedance in a unipolar manner between the first electrode pole and the housing or in a bipolar manner between the first electrode pole and the second electrode pole depending on the determining step.

An implantable medical device for stimulating a human/animal heart having a stimulation unit which stimulates the His bundle and a detection unit which detects an electrical signal at the His bundle. The device performs: a) determining a first value of a parameter of a first measuring pulse measured between a first electrode pole and a housing; b) determining a second value of the same parameter of a second measuring pulse measured between the first electrode pole and a second electrode pole; c) comparing the first and second values; d) determining, based on the comparing step, whether the first or second measuring pulses enables a higher available level control range of the analog-to-digital converter; e) measuring an impedance in a unipolar manner between the first electrode pole and the housing or in a bipolar manner between the first electrode pole and the second electrode pole depending on the determining step.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for esophageal panometry are provided. An example method includes capturing measurement data including an area and a pressure of an esophageal body via a measurement device positioned with respect to the esophageal body; generating representations of the exported measurement data; analyzing the measurement data to determine esophageal reactivity based on the area and pressure; assessing esophageal function based on the determined esophageal reactivity; and outputting an indication of esophageal function.

An apparatus comprises a respiration sensing circuit configured for coupling electrically to a plurality of electrodes and for sensing a respiration signal representative of respiration of a subject; a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the respiration sensing circuit and configured to extract a respiration parameter from a sensed respiration signal and determine a signal performance metric for the sensed respiration signal using the respiration parameter; and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to: initiate sensing of a plurality of respiration signals using different electrode combinations of the plurality of electrodes and determining of the signal performance metric for the sensed respiration signals; and enable an electrode combination from the plurality of electrodes and for use in monitoring respiration of the subject according to the signal performance metric.

Systems and methods for monitoring patients with a chronic disease are described. A patient management system may sense physiological signals from a patient using one or more implantable or other ambulatory sensors, and generate from the physiological signals a chronobiological rhythm indicator (CRI) such as indicating a circadian rhythm. A reference CRI associated with a prior hospital admission event of the patient may be provided to the patient management system, which compares the CRI to the reference CRI and generates a readmission risk score indicating the patient's risk of subsequent hospital readmission due to a worsened condition of the chronic disease. The readmission risk score may be provided to a user or a process, or used to initiate or adjust a therapy delivered to the patient.

Impedance devices with integrated circuit modules and method of using the same to obtain luminal organ information. In one embodiment, a device comprises an elongated body for at least partial insertion into a mammalian luminal organ and having a first conductor extending therethrough, a proximal electrical unit connected to the elongated body to deliver power along the first conductor, and a sensor substrate located at or near a distal end of the elongated body and comprising a circuit module operable and/or configured to direct the sizing portion to obtain sizing data and the pressure sensor to obtain pressure data, and facilitate transmission of the sizing data and/or the pressure data to the proximal electrical unit.