The problem of a potentially high amount of supra-threshold charge passing through the patient's tissue at the end of an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) program is addressed by circuitry that periodically dissipates only small amount of the charge stored on capacitances (e.g., DC-blocking capacitors) during a pulsed post-program recovery period. This occurs by periodically activating control signals to turn on passive recovery switches to form a series of discharge pulses each dissipating a sub-threshold amount of charge. Such periodic pulsed dissipation may extend the duration of post-program recovery, but is not likely to be noticeable by the patient when the programming in the IPG changes from a first to a second program. Periodic pulsed dissipation of charge may also be used during a program, such as between stimulation pulses.

An apparatus and method of electrically coupling a previously implanted stimulation lead with a replacement neurostimulator device. The apparatus and method configured to operably couple a proximal portion of a neuromodulation adapter including a plurality of electrical conductors spaced apart at a first pitch spacing to a corresponding plurality of electrical terminals of a replacement neurostimulator device, and operably couple a distal end of the neuromodulation adapter including a plurality of conductor elements and an electrically active set screw spaced part of a second pitch spacing to a corresponding plurality of electrical connectors of a previously implanted stimulation lead.

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.

A connector assembly includes a lead with a lead body having proximal and distal portions. The lead body defines a longitudinal axis. Terminals are disposed along the proximal portion and a proximal tip is attached thereto. The proximal tip defines an aperture that is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. The connector assembly further includes a connector having a connector body, a connector lumen, and connector contacts disposed within the connector body. The connector body includes a fastener aperture proximal to all of the connector contacts and intersecting the connector lumen. The fastener aperture and the aperture of the proximal tip align when the proximal portion is fully received within the connector lumen. At least one of the apertures includes internal threading. The connector assembly also includes a threaded fastener for insertion into the apertures to secure the lead to the connector.

A pacemaker has a housing and a therapy delivery circuit enclosed by the housing for generating pacing pulses for delivery to a patient's heart. An electrically insulative distal member is coupled directly to the housing and at least one non-tissue piercing cathode electrode is coupled directly to the insulative distal member. A tissue piercing electrode extends away from the housing.

A cardiac pacing system having a pulse generator for generating therapeutic electric pulses, a lead electrically coupled with the pulse generator having an electrode, a first sensor configured to monitor a physiological characteristic of a patient, a second sensor configured to monitor a second physiological characteristic of a patient and a controller. The controller can determine a pacing vector based on variables including a signal received from the second sensor, and cause the pulse generator to deliver the therapeutic electrical pulses according to the determined pacing vector. The controller can also modify pacing characteristics based on variables including a signal received from the second sensor.

A pacemaker system includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to a pacemaker lead. The DSC generates a pace signal including electrical impulses based on a reference signal. The DSC provides the pace signal via the pacemaker lead to an electrically responsive portion of a cardiac conductive system of a subject to facilitate cardiac operation of a cardiovascular system of the subject. The DSC senses, via the pacemaker lead, cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is generated in response to the pace signal and electrically coupled into the pacemaker lead and generates a digital signal that is representative of the cardiac electrical activity of the cardiovascular system of the subject that is sensed via the pacemaker lead. The DSC provides digital information to one or more processing modules that includes and/or is coupled to memory and that provide the reference signal to the DSC.

A sheet structure comprising two joined extracellular matrix (ECM) tissue or sheet layers and a physiological sensor disposed therebetween; the ECM tissue being derived from a mammalian tissue source that includes small intestine submucosa (SIS), urinary bladder submucosa (UBS), stomach submucosa (SS), urinary basement membrane (UBM), liver basement membrane (LBM), amniotic membrane, mesothelial tissue, placental tissue and cardiac tissue.

A method of manufacturing a hermetic lead connector includes fixing an electrically insulating ring between an electrically conducting contact ring and an electrically conducting spacer ring to form a hermetic ring subassembly, and fixing a plurality of the hermetic ring subassemblies in axial alignment to form a hermetic lead connector. The hermetic lead connector includes an open end, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lead aperture. The hermetic lead connector provides a hermetic seal between the outer surface and the inner surface.

Implantable medical devices have modular lead bores that are constructed from individual lead bore modules. A given modular lead bore utilizes the number of individual lead bore modules necessary for the particular implantable medical device. Each lead bore module has a lead bore passageway and a feedthrough passageway. An electrical contact is present within the lead bore passageway of each lead bore module and the electrical contact is aligned to the lead bore passageway of a lead bore module. Hermetic feedthrough assemblies are also present within the lead bore passageway of each lead bore module. A feedthrough pin passes through a hermetic feedthrough assembly within a feedthrough passageway of each lead bore module. Each feedthrough pin is electrically coupled to a corresponding electrical contact and the medical device circuitry.