A guide wire system configured to guide a medical device (e.g., a medical lead) to a target area within a patient. The guide wire system may be configured to penetrate and pass through a tissue wall in the patient to guide the medical device to the target area. The guide wire system includes a support section configured to expand to substantially maintain a position relative to the tissue wall. The guide wire system includes a pull wire configured to cause the support portion to expand. The expanded support section may provide counter-traction to a distal force on the tissue wall exerted by a medical device during, for example, fixation of the medical device to the target area, or other stages of an implantation. The support section is configured to re-establish an initial configuration for proximal withdrawal from the tissue wall.

A system for cardiac electrical stimulation treatment, comprising: an implantable pulse generator; one or more leads extending from the pulse generator to the heart for applying cardiac electrical stimulation; a controller programmed with at least one treatment plan for applying cardiac electrical stimulations, the controller configured to automatically update the treatment plan in response to actual cardiac activity by updating one or more parameters including: a time period during which cardiac electrical stimulations are applied; a rate of cardiac electrical stimulations; an amount of energy delivered at each cardiac electrical stimulation.

An implantable medical device includes a header configured to be mounted to an end of a device housing that contains an electronics module therein. The header includes an antenna, a sensing electrode, and a header body that at least partially surrounds the antenna and the sensing electrode. The sensing electrode includes a first body portion, a second body portion, and a bridge portion that mechanically and electrically connects the first and second body portions. The first body portion is at least partially exposed to an external environment along a first side of the header, and the second body portion is at least partially exposed to the external environment along a second side of the header that is different from the first side.

An implantable medical device includes a header configured to be mounted to an end of a device housing that contains an electronics module therein. The header includes an antenna, a sensing electrode, and a header body that at least partially surrounds the antenna and the sensing electrode. The sensing electrode includes a first body portion, a second body portion, and a bridge portion that mechanically and electrically connects the first and second body portions. The first body portion is at least partially exposed to an external environment along a first side of the header, and the second body portion is at least partially exposed to the external environment along a second side of the header that is different from the first side.

A system and method for monitoring heart function based on heart sounds (HS) is provided. The system includes electrodes configured to sense electrical cardiac activity (CA) signals over a period of time. An HS sensor is configured to sense HS signals over the period of time. The system includes memory to store specific executable instructions and includes one or more processors that, when executing the specific executable instructions, is configured to: identify a characteristic of interest (COI) of a heartbeat from the CA signals. The processors overlay a HS search window onto an HS segment of the HS signals based on the COI from the CA signals and calculate a center of mass (COM) for at least one of S1 or S2 HS based on the HS segment of the HS signals within the search window to obtain a corresponding at least one of S1 COM or S2 COM. The processors calculate at least one of an electromechanical activation time (EMAT) or a systolic interval (SI) based on the at least one of S1 COM or S2 COM and record the at least one of the EMAT or SI.

A system and method for monitoring heart function based on heart sounds (HS) is provided. The system includes electrodes configured to sense electrical cardiac activity (CA) signals over a period of time. An HS sensor is configured to sense HS signals over the period of time. The system includes memory to store specific executable instructions and includes one or more processors that, when executing the specific executable instructions, is configured to: identify a characteristic of interest (COI) of a heartbeat from the CA signals. The processors overlay a HS search window onto an HS segment of the HS signals based on the COI from the CA signals and calculate a center of mass (COM) for at least one of S1 or S2 HS based on the HS segment of the HS signals within the search window to obtain a corresponding at least one of S1 COM or S2 COM. The processors calculate at least one of an electromechanical activation time (EMAT) or a systolic interval (SI) based on the at least one of S1 COM or S2 COM and record the at least one of the EMAT or SI.

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.

An implantable medical device for stimulating a human/animal heart, comprising a housing, a processor, a memory unit, a stimulation unit configured to stimulate the His bundle, and a detection unit configured to detect an electrical signal at the His bundle. The device performs: a) stimulating the His bundle with a stimulation pulse delivered by the stimulation unit; b) measuring an electric signal at the His bundle with the detection unit upon termination of a first period of time starting upon delivering of the stimulation pulse, wherein the first period of time is from 35 ms to 500 ms; c) measuring an impedance of the same heart with the detection unit upon termination of a second period of time starting upon delivering of the stimulation pulse, wherein the second period of time is equal to or longer than the first period of time and is from 50 ms to 500 ms.

The present invention relates to an implantable medical device, comprising a housing with an electric feedthrough, wherein the electric feedthrough comprises an insulator and an electric conductor extending through the insulator, wherein insulator is joined, particularly brazed, with the electric conductor, a first electrode configured to contact a body tissue, and a second electrode configured to act as a return electrode for the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is formed by the electric conductor of the electric feedthrough and an electrode tip, wherein the electrode tip is joined, particularly welded, with the electrical conductor.