Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application inventions 04/07

20070093871 - Apparatus and method for detecting lead adequacy and quality: A system and method for detecting lead adequacy and quality is disclosed. The system includes leads attached to a package having known electrical or optical characteristics. The package is adapted to interface with a testing device that allows the operator to ascertain whether the leads are appropriate for the desired... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20070093870 - Cranial nerve stimulation to treat eating disorders: Methods and systems of treating a patient having an eating disorder involving coupling at least one electrode to at least one cranial nerve of the patient, implanting a sensory stimulation device in the patient, applying a sensory stimulus to the patient using the sensory stimulation device, detecting the patient's response... Agent: Cyberonics, Inc.

20070093872 - System and method of av interval selection in an implantable medical device: An implantable medical device provides ventricular pacing capabilities and optimizes AV intervals for multiple purposes. In general, intrinsic conduction is promoted by determining when electromechanical systole (EMS) ends and setting an AV interval accordingly. EMS is determined utilizing various data including QT interval, sensor input, and algorithmic calculations.... Agent: Medtronic, Inc.

20070093873 - System and method of av interval selection in an implantable medical device: An implantable medical device provides ventricular pacing capabilities and optimizes AV intervals for multiple purposes. In general, intrinsic conduction is promoted by determining when electromechanical systole (EMS) ends and setting an AV interval accordingly. EMS is determined utilizing various data including QT interval, sensor input, and algorithmic calculations.... Agent: Medtronic, Inc.

20070093874 - System and method of av interval selection in an implantable medical device: An implantable medical device provides ventricular pacing capabilities and optimizes AV intervals for multiple purposes. In general, intrinsic conduction is promoted by determining when electromechanical systole (EMS) ends and setting an AV interval accordingly. EMS is determined utilizing various data including QT interval, sensor input, and algorithmic calculations.... Agent: Medtronic, Inc.

20070093875 - Implantable and rechargeable neural stimulator: One aspect of the present subject matter relates to an implantable medical device. An embodiment of the device comprises a rechargeable power supply adapted to be recharged through an ultrasound signal, a neural stimulator connected to the rechargeable power supply, and a controller connected to the rechargeable power supply. The... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070093876 - Automatic fitting for a visual prosthesis: The invention is a method of automatically adjusting an electrode array to the neural characteristics of an individual patient. By recording neural response to a predetermined input stimulus, one can alter that input stimulus to the needs of an individual patient. A minimum input stimulus is applied to a patient,... Agent: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

20070093877 - System for maintaining normal health of retinal cells and promoting regeneration of retinal cells: Disclosed is a system for maintaining normal health of photoreceptor cells and promoting regeneration of photoreceptor cells, and methods thereof. The system comprises: an implant capable of being implanted in a region in proximity to retina of an eye; and an electrical stimulation unit disposed in a region around the... Agent: Robert J. Sayfie

20070093878 - Cochlear implants containing biological cells and uses thereof: This invention generally relates to cochlear implants containing or supporting stem-cell derived neural cells, and methods of making and using the cochlear implants.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20070093879 - Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling use of medical devices: A device carries a use monitoring element that possesses a state or condition that changes in response to use of the device and that is sensed when the device is presented for use. Reuse of the device is not permitted, if the use monitoring element indicates a prior use.... Agent: Ryan Kromholz & Manion, S.c.

20070093880 - Adjustable profile probe: An adjustable profile probe for insertion in a body cavity to sense a biological parameter includes an elongated shaft having a sensor panel and a resiliently expandable portion substantially opposing the sensor panel. An expansion mechanism is at least partially housed within the elongated shaft for varying the profile of... Agent: Edwards & Angell, LLP

20070093881 - Weighing scale with level compensating foot assembly: A foot assembly for a weighing scale comprises a base, a ring arranged in coaxial spaced relation to the base; and a plurality of deformable compensation beams projecting outwardly from a portion of the base so as to support the ring.... Agent: Plevy & Howard & Darcy P.C.

20070093882 - Multifunction warming device for perioperative use: A multifunction warming device for perioperative use includes a clinical garment and two convective warming apparatuses supported on an inside surface of the clinical garment. A first convective apparatus is disposed transversely in an upper portion of the clinical garment, running between sleeves of the clinical garment. The second convective... Agent: Terrance A. Meador Incaplaw

20070093885 - Multifunction warming device with an upper body convective apparatus: A multifunction warming device includes a clinical garment having an inside surface supporting a convective apparatus disposed to provide therapeutic warming of a patient's upper body during surgery. The warming device includes a clinical garment with an elongate convective apparatus supported on the inside of the garment, transversely to the... Agent: Terrance A. Meador Incaplaw

20070093883 - Multifunction warming device with provision for being secured: A multifunction warming device includes a clinical garment having an inside surface supporting at least one convective apparatus. An attachment mechanism is provided adjacent the convective apparatus for adhesively attaching to a person.... Agent: Terrance A. Meador Incaplaw

20070093884 - Multifunction warming device with provision for warming hands: A multifunction warming device includes a clinical garment with at least one convective apparatus supported on the inside of the garment. Slits are provided in the clinical garment which enables a patient to insert his or her hands inside the clinical garment to be warmed therein by operation of the... Agent: Terrance A. Meador Incaplaw

20070088392 - Bedding articles and methods of manufacture and use: A bedding article includes multiple first reservoirs and multiple second reservoirs joined with a substrate. Selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs include a reducing agent, and first reservoir surfaces of selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs are proximate to a first substrate surface. Selected ones of the multiple... Agent: Meschkow & Gresham, PLC Suite 409

20070088393 - Electrical muscle controller: A method of modifying the force of contraction of at least a portion of a heart chamber, including providing a subject having a heart, comprising at least a portion having an activation, and applying a non-excitatory electric field having a given duration, at a delay after the activation, to the... Agent: Wolf, Block, Shorr And Solis-cohen LLP

20070088394 - Leadless cardiac pacemaker system for usage in combination with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: A cardiac pacing system comprising one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured to perform cardiac pacing functions in combination with a co-implanted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088395 - Device and method for preventing the acceleration of cardiac arrhythmias: An exemplary method includes detecting ventricular fibrillation, delivering a low voltage cardiac stimulus, determining whether the low voltage cardiac stimulus terminated the ventricular fibrillation, and delivering a higher voltage cardiac stimulus if the low voltage cardiac stimulus did not terminate the ventricular fibrillation. In one example, the delivering the low... Agent: Pacesetter, Inc.

20070088396 - Leadless cardiac pacemaker: In a cardiac pacing system, a leadless cardiac pacemaker is configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured for leadless pacing.... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088397 - Leadless cardiac pacemaker system with conductive communication: A cardiac pacing system comprises multiple leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured for multi-chamber cardiac pacing. The individual leadless cardiac pacemakers comprise at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088398 - Leadless cardiac pacemaker triggered by conductive communication: A leadless cardiac pacemaker configured for implantation in electrical contact with a left ventricular cardiac chamber and configured for leadless triggered left-ventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in response to conducted signals from a pulse generator.... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088399 - Method and apparatus for adjusting cardiac event detection threshold based on dynamic noise estimation: An implantable cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device includes a sensing and detection circuit that senses at least one cardiac signal and detects cardiac electrical events from the sensed cardiac signal using a detection threshold that is adjusted based on a dynamic noise estimation. The sensed cardiac signal is filtered to... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070088400 - Rate responsive leadless cardiac pacemaker: A leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises a housing, a plurality of electrodes coupled to an outer surface of the housing, and a pulse delivery system hermetically contained within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrode plurality, the pulse delivery system configured for sourcing energy internal to the housing, generating and... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088401 - Methods and apparatus for predicting acute response to cardiac resyncronization therapy at a given stimulation site: Response to cardiac resynchronization therapy is predicted for a given stimulation site so that an atrioventricular delay of an implantable device administering cardiac resynchronization therapy may be set to a proper amount. The first deflection of ventricular depolarization is measured, such as through a surface electrocardiogram or through an intracardiac... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070088402 - Muscle energy converter with smooth continuous tissue interface: A device and corresponding method for converting the contractile work of skeletal muscles into transportable energy. The device may comprise a converter having a mobile end adapted to be connected to a skeletal muscle, a relatively stationary end opposite the mobile end; one or more energy processing units operatively connected... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP

20070088403 - Methods and systems for establishing parameters for neural stimulation: Methods and systems for establishing parameters for neural stimulation are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes applying a first stimulus to a first neural population associated with a first neural function, using a first set of stimulation parameters. The method can further include detecting a response to... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20070088404 - Methods and systems for improving neural functioning, including cognitive functioning and neglect disorders: Methods and systems for improving neural functioning, including cognitive functioning and neglect disorders, are disclosed. A method for treating a patient in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes applying electrical stimulation beneath a patient's skull to improve neuropsychological functioning of the patient, and, after applying the electrical stimulation,... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20070088405 - Programmer for biostimulator system: A biostimulator system comprises one or more implantable devices and an external programmer configured for communicating with the implantable device or devices via bidirectional communication pathways comprising a receiving pathway that decodes information encoded on stimulation pulses generated by ones of the implantable device or devices and conducted through body... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088406 - Systems and methods for clinician control of stimulation systems: Systems and methods for programming and logging medical device and patient data are provided. The systems include a handheld device, which is capable of communicating with a medical device, and a base station, which provides connectivity for the handheld device to accomplish various functions such as recharging, programming, data back-up... Agent: Ryan Kromholz & Manion, S.c.

20070088407 - Method and device for treating injuries: A method for using electrical stimulation to achieve a physiological reaction in an individual using an electronic stimulation device is described. The electronic stimulation device is used to apply a waveform to the individual. The waveform includes at least a plurality of packets. Each of the plurality of packets includes... Agent: Howison & Arnott, L.l.p

20070088408 - Methods of reducing dermal melanocytes: Disclosed herein are methods to reduce dermal melanocytes in a preselected dermal region of human skin afflicted with a disorder. The methods involve cooling an area of the skin above the preselected region and applying energy to the region to ameliorate any lesions of the disorder.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20070088409 - Device and method for material processing by means of laser radiation: In a device for material processing by laser radiation, including a source of laser radiation emitting pulsed laser radiation for interaction with the material; optics focusing the pulsed processing laser radiation to a center of interaction in the material and a scanning unit shifting the positions of the center of... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20070088410 - Phototherapy device: A phototherapy system having a rigid support surface adapted to support a patient without substantial deformation; a light source disposed so as to transmit light through the support surface; and a mask adapted to permit light transmission from the light source through a first portion of the support surface and... Agent: Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

20070088411 - Methods and devices for the treatment of skin lesions: Methods and devices for the treatment of skin lesions resulting from bacterial, fungal or viral infections or from exposure to irritants are disclosed. The invention relates methods and devices for delivering a controlled dose of thermal energy to the infected or irritated tissue and thereby speed the recovery process.... Agent: Dallas Office Of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

20070088412 - System and device for heating or cooling shape memory surgical devices: A system for heating a heat-transformable shape memory surgical device. The system includes a sealed, sterilizable housing, a thermal probe for heating the shape memory surgical device, the thermal probe being connected with the housing, and a printed circuit board positioned within the housing. The printed circuit board includes a... Agent: Wiggin And Dana LLP Attention: Patent Docketing

20070088413 - Treatment apparatus and methods for delivering energy at multiple selectable depths in tissue: Treatment apparatus and methods for delivering energy at multiple selectable tissue depths as selected by a clinician. The treatment apparatus includes at least two electrodes that are electrically isolated from each other, which permits each electrode to be independently energized for selecting different treatment depths. The electrodes may be concurrently... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP

20070088414 - Particulate formulations for intradermal delivery of biologically active agents: The present invention relates to formulations, methods and devices for delivering one or more biologically active agents, particularly a diagnostic or therapeutic agent to the intradermal compartment of a subject's skin. The present invention provides an improved method of delivery of biologically active agents in that it provides among other... Agent: Becton, Dickinson And Company Alston & Bird LLP

20070088415 - Method of treating the eye using controlled heat delivery: The present invention relates to a device for treating the eye, including a body portion configured to be positioned adjacent the exterior surface of the cornea and a heating means for heating the body portion to a predetermined temperature to affect at least one of the following: facilitation of the... Agent: Bell, Boyd, & Lloyd LLP

20070088416 - Mri compatible medical leads: Herein is disclosed a probe, including a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface, a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface, a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode, a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode, and a reactive element... Agent: Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec

20070088418 - Delivery system for implantable biostimulator: A delivery system for implanting a biostimulation device comprising a stylet extending along an axis from knob end to a threaded end configured to engage an internally threaded nut of the biostimulation device and a catheter tube configured to axially contain the stylet. The catheter tube comprises a feature that... Agent: Koestner Bertani LLP

20070088417 - Electrode bundle: An electrode bundle for implantation in soft tissue comprises two or more electrodes aligned in parallel. Each electrode comprises an electrode element, an anchoring element joined to the electrode element at a portion intermediate between the front end and the rear end thereof and a means bundling the electrodes disposed... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20070088419 - Conductive pad assembly for electrical therapy device: A pad assembly according to the invention is used for mounting a current generator for applying a therapeutic electrical current to an area of human skin. Such an assembly includes a pad comprising a thin, flexible, stretchable plastic film that conforms to human skin, which pad has electrical paths printed... Agent: Philip G. Meyers Philip G. Meyers Law Office

20070083238 - Devices and related methods for targeted pressure and temperature therapies for pelvic region disorders and syndromes: Disclosed herein are devices and related methods for using those devices in the relieving and/or treating of pain, discomfort, and/or inflammation in the pelvic region using targeted pressure and temperature delivery. The devices and methods for using those devices to deliver targeted pressure and temperature therapy internally to patients through... Agent: Hogan & Hartson LLPIPGroup, Columbia Square

20070083237 - Magnetic therapeutic device and method of using the same: A magnetic therapeutic device useful for medical purposes wherein the head of the user is exposes to magnetic elements having opposite polarities simultaneously: one side of the head receive magnetic flux having a north to south polarity at the same time that the opposite side of the other side of... Agent: Hector M. Reyes Rivera Ph.d Jd

20070083239 - Methods and apparatus for inducing, monitoring and controlling renal neuromodulation: Methods and apparatus are provided for inducing, monitoring and controlling renal neuromodulation using a pulsed electric field to effectuate electroporation or electrofusion. In some embodiments, tissue impedance, conductance or conductivity may be monitored to determine the effects of pulsed electric field therapy, e.g., to determine an extent of electroporation and... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20070083240 - Methods and systems for applying stimulation and sensing one or more indicators of cardiac activity with an implantable stimulator: Methods of treating a medical disorder include implanting within a patient a stimulator with a number of electrodes electrically coupled thereto, applying a stimulation current via one or more of the electrodes to a stimulation site within the patient, and sensing one or more indicators of cardiac activity with one... Agent: Rader, Fishman & Grauer PLLC

20070083241 - System and method for generating baseline data for automated management of edema: A system and method for generating baseline data for automated management of edema is disclosed. Collected device measures are accumulated to record raw physiometry for a patient, wherein the patient is regularly monitored by an implantable medical device, beginning with an initial observation period. Derived device measures are generated to... Agent: Cascadia Intellectual Property

20070083242 - System and method for achieving regular slow ventricular rhythm in response to atrial fibrillation: A system (10) for achieving a desired cardiac rate and cardiac rhythm in response to atrial fibrillation in a heart includes an atrial fibrillation (AF) detector (40) for detecting AF. The system also includes an atrioventricular node vagal stimulator (AVN-VS) (30) for stimulating vagal nerves associated with an atrioventricular (AV)... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20070083243 - Method and apparatus for monitoring and optimizing atrial function: A method for use in an implantable medical device, comprising: sensing a signal corresponding to ventricular wall acceleration; and determining a metric of atrial function using the ventricular wall acceleration signal. The method includes sensing the ventricular wall acceleration signal during at least during a sensing window corresponding to a... Agent: Medtronic, Inc.

20070083244 - Process for tuning an emi filter to reduce the amount of heat generated in implanted lead wires during medical procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging: In EMI filter assemblies incorporating one or more passive filter elements including feedthrough capacitors and lossy ferrite inductors, a process is provided for tuning the various components to reduce the amount of heat generated in implanted lead wires during medical procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging. The process includes selection... Agent: Kelly Lowry & Kelley, LLP

20070083245 - Stimulation for treating brain events and other conditions: Apparatus for treatment is provided, including one or more electrodes, configured to be applied to a site of a subject, and adverse cerebrovascular condition treatment functionality. The functionality comprises a control unit configured to drive the one or more electrodes to apply electrical stimulation to the site during a plurality... Agent: Darby & Darby P.C.

20070083246 - Method and apparatus for enabling data communication between an implantable medical device and a patient management system: Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and devices for enabling data communication between an IMD and a host computer. In one embodiment, a device is provided that comprises a frequency and protocol agile transceiver capable of communicating with an IMD via a first communications link and with a host... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070083247 - Electrode assembly and handpiece with adjustable system impedance, and methods of operating an energy-based medical system to treat tissue: Electrode assemblies and handpieces for energy-based treatment systems that utilize an impedance assembly to facilitate impedance matching between the system and a patient. The electrode assembly and/or handpiece may include one or more circuit elements configured to introduce at least one supplemental impedance into an electrical circuit coupling the electrode... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP

20070083248 - Healthful belt: A healthful belt mainly has plural silicone rubber projections possessing far-infrared energy on the surface of an elastic cloth. When the belt is worn on or wrapped around the sore spot, the silicone rubber projections is to contact with the skin directly, the far-infrared energy sinking into the skin organization... Agent: Yu-ting Tu

20070083249 - Healthful belt: A healthful belt includes an elastic cloth and a silica gel layer deposited on an inner surface of the elastic cloth. The silica gel layer is provided with plural air holes and far-infrared energy. Then the healthful belt is worn on a sore or painful section of a body, letting... Agent: Yu-ting Tu

20070083250 - Healthful patch: A healthful patch includes an airy cloth and a layer of silicon gel mixed with far-infrared energy powder coated on a lower surface of the airy cloth. The layer of the silicon gel is provided with many tiny air holes. The healthful patch can be covered on an aching or... Agent: Yu-ting Tu

20070083251 - Therapeutic pack: A therapeutic pack provides effective therapeutic heating or cooling to an area of a body. The therapeutic pack comprises a fabric bag and a plurality of therapeutic modules within the bag. The bag consists of taffeta or a spandex such that the bag drapes. The therapeutic modules are capable of... Agent: Christopher Paradies, Ph.d.

20070078487 - Environmentally responsive active status indicator system and method: Battery powered systems with long standby times, such as automatic external defibrillators, may be required to indicate their operational status to a user by blinking lights or sounding speakers or buzzers. These active status indication activities consume power thereby reducing the battery life of the system. Automatically adjusting the level... Agent: King & Spalding LLP

20070078488 - Device for adjusting the sensitivity level of an implantable medical device: An implantable cardiac stimulation device has an atrial detector that detects atrial events of a patient's heart, and a memory in which sequences of IEGM signals are stored, having a predetermined length, and an analyzing unit that analyzes the sequences to determine if the stored sequences contain atrial events having... Agent: Schiff Hardin, LLP Patent Department

20070078490 - Leadless tissue stimulation systems and methods: Systems including an implantable receiver-stimulator and an external controller-transmitter system are used for leadless acute stimulation of the heart, particularly after heart surgery. Cardiac pacing and arrhythmia control is accomplished with one or more implantable receiver-stimulators and an external system that alternatively includes the use of an external pacemaker. Receiver-stimulators... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20070078489 - Pacing interval adjustment for cardiac pacing response determination: The waveform morphology of a propagated pacing response signal may be adjusted to achieve a waveform morphology that enhances cardiac pacing response determination. One or more pacing intervals may be adjusted to achieve at least one cardiac pacing response waveform morphology that enhances determination of the cardiac pacing response. The... Agent: Hollingsworth & Funk, LLC

20070078491 - Third heart sound activity index for heart failure monitoring: A cardiac rhythm management system provides for the trending of a third heart sound (S3) index. The S3 index is a ratio, or an estimate of the ratio, of the number of S3 beats to the number of all heart beats, where the S3 beats are each a heart beat... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070078492 - Method and device to convert cardiac and other body movements into electricity to power any implantable medical system: Method and device to convert movement of human body part such as heart, diaphragm, skeletal muscles, etc. into electrical energy using smart materials like electroactive polymers, piezoelectric materials or other materials which passive deformation produces electric signals.... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070078493 - Impedance-based penile tumescence sensor: The disclosure describes techniques for sensing penile tumescence based on the impedance of tissue between two electrodes implanted in the penis, which may vary based on penile tumescence, e.g., penile length or circumference. One of the electrodes emits an electrical signal, and the other of the electrodes detects the emitted... Agent: Shumaker & Sieffert, P. A.

20070078494 - Method and apparatus for controlling motility of gastrointestinal organs for the treatment of obesity: Techniques are provided for controlling motility of the gastrointestinal tract using an implantable medical system. In one technique, electrical stimulation is applied to a set of electrodes implanted in the gastrointestinal tract to induce a contraction that artificially propagates in a retrograde direction. The invocation of retrograde contractions or reverse... Agent: Christensen, O'connor, Johnson, Kindness, PLLC

20070078495 - Cerebral electrostimulation device: This invention relates to a cerebral electrostimulation device containing a commutation device (300) comprising at least one input and several outputs each connected to at least one biocompatible electrode or at least one active area (202) of a biocompatible electrode (200), the commutation device (300) being used to selectively connect... Agent: Thelen Reid & Priest, LLP

20070078496 - Sub-threshold stimulation to precondition neurons for supra-threshold stimulation: In order to generate the smallest phosphenes possible, it is advantageous to selectively stimulate smaller cells. By hyperpolarizing the somas of the large cells selectively with sub-threshold anodic ‘pre-pulse’ stimuli (making them more difficult to stimulate) and then selectively depolarize the smaller cells one can selectively stimulate smaller cells. Alternatively,... Agent: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

20070078499 - Internal medical device communication bus: In general, the invention facilitates improved inter-module communication within a medical device system, such as an automated external defibrillator (AED), by using a serial data interface based on the USB specification to transfer data between modules. As a result, data transmission rates may be improved significantly, thereby providing ample communication... Agent: Mary Y. Redman Physio-control, Inc

20070078497 - Remote programming of implantable medical devices: A method for remotely programming a medical device, comprising storing a stratification of a plurality of remotely programmable parameters in a plurality of tiers; storing an authorization level for a user wherein the authorization level corresponds to at least one of the remotely programmable parameter tiers; storing a programmed parameter... Agent: Medtronic, Inc.

20070078498 - System and method for providing a waveform for stimulating biological tissue: An implantable programmable stimulator system includes memory that stores at least one waveform. A playback system provides an output waveform based on retrieving the at least one waveform from the memory. An output system is configured to drive at least one output channel based on the output waveform, the output... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20070078501 - Phototreatment device for use with coolants and topical substances: Methods and systems are disclosed for phototreatment in which replaceable containers comprising one or more adjuvant (consumable or re-useable) substances are employed. The adjuvant substance can be, for example, a topical substance or a coolant. Systems are disclosed for using a topical substance to detect contact of a phototreatment device... Agent: Nutter Mcclennen & Fish LLP

20070078500 - Systems and methods for analysis and treatment of a body lumen: In a system and method for analyzing and treating a body lumen, a lumen-expanding balloon catheter with integrated one or more delivery waveguides and one or more collection waveguides is used to perform optical analysis of the tissues surrounding the lumen during expansion. The catheter can comprise an angioplasty catheter... Agent: Mills & Onello LLP

20070078502 - Method and apparatus for estimating a local impedance factor: Method and apparatus for determining local impedance factors in an electromagnetic energy system for treating patients is disclosed. Respective measurement signals are sent through a patient treatment zone and a local impedance factor is estimated based upon the measurement signals. The estimated impedance factor is used to determine appropriate therapeutic... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP

20070078503 - Implantable electrodes and insertion methods and tools: An insertion kit for implanting an electrode in a patient can include a handle; an insertion member coupled to the handle at a proximal end of the insertion member and configured and arranged to be inserted into a patient; an alignment member coupled to the handle and disposed over the... Agent: Darby & Darby P.C.