A biological-electrode protection module is a monolithic component including a capacitor and a voltage-limiting component integrated in a common substrate. The capacitor component is connected in the series path between the input and output terminals. The voltage-limiting component is connected between ground and a node in the series path. The voltage-limiting component has a low breakdown voltage no greater than 6 volts and may be a biphasic device operating in the punch-through mode. Moreover, the protection module is connected to or integrated with a set of biological electrodes at a distance no greater than 1 cm. The capacitor may be a 3D capacitor, and common fabrication processes may be used in forming the voltage-limiting component and the capacitor. A JFET may be integrated in the same substrate so that an electrical signal output from the monolithic protection device is already pre-amplified.

Conductors within an implantable medical lead that carry stimulation signal signals are at least partially embedded within a lead body of the medical lead over at least a portion of the length of the conductors while being surrounded by a radio frequency (RF) shield. A space between the shield and the conductors is filled by the presence of the lead body material such that body fluids that infiltrate the lead over time cannot pool in the space between the shield and the conductors. The dielectric properties of the lead body are retained and the capacitive coupling between the shield and the conductors continues to be inhibited such that current induced on the shield is inhibited from being channeled onto the conductors. Heating at the electrodes of the medical lead is prevented from becoming excessive.

This disclosure describes the methods, devices, and systems of treating diseased tissue with integrated nanosecond pulse irreversible electroporation. Methods and systems as disclosed provide MRI compatible shielded electrodes and electrode leads to prevent emanating radiofrequency noise and improve image quality, disconnecting the electrode from the cable linkage to the pulse generator reduce electromagnetic interference and image artifacts, placing electrodes strategically within a guide cannula to minimize distortion from heterogeneities or maximize ablation within the tissue, utilizing conductive fluids, innate or external, such as cerebral spinal fluid or grounding pads to provide a pathway for current return, and for timing of the electrical waveforms with inherent brain electrical activity.

An implanted medical device is prepared for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan by being programmed into an MRI mode when deemed appropriate by an external device implementing an MRI mode control application. An MRI technologist or other user may use the external device to screen the patient and implanted medical device for the MRI scan and enable the MRI mode at the implanted medical device when it is deemed appropriate in the MRI mode control application. Therapy parameters for the MRI mode may be determined on the basis of information about the device and patient, and those therapy parameters may be programmed into the implanted medical device upon enabling the MRI mode. The MRI technologist or other user may use the external device to disable the MRI mode and return to normal operation once the MRI scan is complete.

A magnetic system for a medical implant system is described. A planar implant receiver coil is configured to lie underneath and parallel to overlying skin of an implanted patient for transcutaneous communication of an implant communications signal. A planar ring-shaped attachment magnet also is configured to lie underneath and parallel to the overlying skin and radially surrounds the receiver coil. The attachment magnet is characterized by a magnetic field configured to avoid creating torque on the attachment magnet in the presence of an external magnetic field.

The present technology may be applied to selectively heat one or more diseased areas in the lung while limiting heating to the healthy area and surrounding tissue. This heating provides a therapeutic effect. The selective heating of diseased tissues may be achieved by exposing the lung to an electromagnetic field to cause dielectric or eddy current heating. The present technology is particularly useful for treating emphysema as the diseased areas in emphysema patients have reduced blood flow. The diseased areas will heat up rapidly while the healthy tissue will be cooled by blood flow. This is particularly effective for treating emphysema because of the low mass of the lungs and the high blood flow. In one described embodiment the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is selected to satisfy certain resonance conditions of the apparatus. In another described embodiment the electromagnetic radiation is applied with a coil whose geometric parameters are chosen so as to produce an electric field maximum in the area to be heated. In another described embodiment the electromagnetic radiation is applied with a pair of electromagnetic energy signal applicators which are positioned around the torso of the patient, one positioned cranially from the treated area and the other positioned caudally from the treated area, and which are shaped to wrap or partially wrap around the circumference of the torso.

A device includes a substrate, an electrode, an electrical pad, and a signal line. The signal line is coupled to the substrate and covered by an insulation layer. The signal line is coupled to the electrical pad and the electrode. At least one of the electrode and the signal line includes a diamagnetic material and paramagnetic material, wherein a ratio of the diamagnetic material and the paramagnetic material is selected based on the susceptibility properties of a physiological tissue. The term paramagnetic herein refers to magnetic susceptibility greater than that of the surrounding tissue and diamagnetic refers to magnetic susceptibility lower than that of the tissue.

A method of localizing brain regions for the purpose of guiding placement of electrodes and related implants is disclosed. The inventive method involves effecting a pulse in a patient's brain, temporally aligning readings taken from an electrode at various depths, measuring local field potentials at each depth during interstimulus intervals, performing a coherence analysis comparing the local field potential measurements of the different depths, and determining a corresponding brain region for the depths compared.

An EMI/energy dissipating filter for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) comprises a first gold braze sealing an insulator to the ferrule of a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) and a lead wire that is sealed in a passageway through the insulator by a second gold braze. A circuit board is disposed adjacent to the insulator. A two-terminal chip capacitor disposed adjacent to the circuit board has an active end metallization connected to its active electrode plates and a ground end metallization connected to its ground electrode plates. A ground electrical path extends from the ground end metallization of the chip capacitor, through a circuit board ground plate disposed on or within the circuit board, and to the ferrule. An active electrical path extends from the active end metallization of the chip capacitor to the lead wire of the GTMS.

A medical electrical lead having a conductor assembly covered by an insulating layer, and a shield covering positioned adjacent or proximate to at least a portion of the insulating layer in order to shield the conductor assembly from one or more electromagnetic fields. The shield covering is formed of a polymer-matrix composite. The polymer-matrix composite includes a polymeric resin having discontinuous conductive fillers provided therein. The discontinuous conductive fillers include one or more of nano-sized metal structures and nano-sized non-metallic conductive structures. The nano-sized non-metallic conductive structures can have a coating formed of one or more metals. The nano-sized non-metallic conductive structures can be formed of carbon. In turn, the nano-sized non-metallic conductive structures can include one or more of carbon nanofibers, carbon filaments, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanoflakes.