Nancy Marie Germanson

US Patent:

8463384, Jun 11, 2013

Filed:

Jan 27, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/015042

Inventors:

Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US
Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Patrick David Miller - Circle Pines MN, US

Assignee:

Medtronic, Inc. - Minneapolis MN

International Classification:

A61N 1/08

US Classification:

607 38, 607 34, 607 37, 607116, 607148

Abstract:

This disclosure relates to a medical electrical lead having fault detection and fault isolation. The lead may include a first conductor coupled to a first electrode and a second conductor coupled to a second electrode. A capacitor is disposed within the lead and selectively coupled to the first and second conductors of the lead. The capacitor is charged in a test mode of operation after the first and second electrodes have been isolated from the conductors via an isolation mechanism and the capacitor will discharge through the first and second conductors. The capacitor discharge morphology is processed to detect lead-related conditions.

US Patent:

8577457, Nov 5, 2013

Filed:

Jul 7, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/177753

Inventors:

Patrick D. Miller - Rogers MN, US
Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US

Assignee:

Medtronics, Inc. - Minneapolis MN

International Classification:

A61N 1/37

US Classification:

607 27

Abstract:

Techniques are described for detecting lead-related conditions for implantable electrical leads. In some of the described embodiments, an implantable electrical lead assembly is provided with a coupling member for connecting a conductor and associated insulator(s) to an electrode/sensing element. The implantable medical device controls and performs a measurement of an electrical property of the electrical lead during periods when the conductor is decoupled from the electrode/sensing element. An indication of a lead-related condition is derived based on the measured electrical property. The lead-related condition may be associated with an insulator of a lead body of the electrical lead.

US Patent:

20060247706, Nov 2, 2006

Filed:

Apr 29, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/119529

Inventors:

Nancy Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US
Thomas Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Alan Braly - Minneapolis MN, US
Rick McVenes - Isanti MN, US

International Classification:

A61N 1/37

US Classification:

607027000

Abstract:

The present invention provides diverse methods and apparatus for in vivo monitoring, detecting and/or predicting potential failure modes or deleterious trends of chronically implanted medical electrical leads prior to actual failure of said leads. Certain embodiments of the invention involve applying a relatively increased data sampling rate at various time intervals (e.g., periodically, randomly, and/or manually-triggered and the like) prior to actual detection of a deleterious trend, to thereby increase the probability of detecting one or more parameters indicative of a potential lead performance issue. At least some of the parameters are utilized because they are not typically reliably detected at relatively lower data sampling rates. In addition to an initial relatively increased data sampling rate, certain embodiments provide for adjusting the sampling rate and storing and/or adjusting data pattern template-based data to execute pattern related triggers so that additional information regarding a medical electrical lead can be obtained.

US Patent:

20120197331, Aug 2, 2012

Filed:

Jan 27, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/014965

Inventors:

Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US
Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Patrick David Miller - Circle Pines MN, US

Assignee:

Medtronic, Inc. - Minneapolis MN

International Classification:

A61N 1/36
A61N 1/00

US Classification:

607 11, 607 27

Abstract:

Systems and methods for providing a cardiac stimulus device lead having fault tolerance and fault isolation are disclosed. A medical electrical lead is provided according to one aspect. According to one embodiment, the lead includes a first conductor and a second conductor for transmitting an electrical pulse from a pulse generator. The lead further includes a switching mechanism, a first electrode, and a lead assessment circuit. The switching mechanism selectively couples the first conductor to the first electrode. The first electrode is decoupled during a test phase and the switching mechanism directly couples the first conductor to the second conductor. The lead assessment circuit processes a signal associated with the electrical properties of the lead to determine whether the lead is exhibiting a lead related condition.

US Patent:

20120316416, Dec 13, 2012

Filed:

Jun 9, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/156632

Inventors:

Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US
Patrick D. Miller - Circle Pines MN, US

International Classification:

A61B 5/042

US Classification:

600374

Abstract:

The present disclosure pertains to methods, devices and systems for detection of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. In accordance with the disclosure, a physiological waveform interpreter module embedded within the lead functions to sense the occurrence of a cardiac event and to generate a minimal impact signal. In an example implementation, the physiological waveform interpreter module is disposed proximate to the sensing site or vicinity of cardiac signals. The physiological waveform interpreter module transmits the minimal impact signal that may include one or more predetermined properties to a remotely located lead monitoring module upon sensing a cardiac event. The lead monitoring module receives and processes the minimal impact signal to determine whether a cardiac depolarization has occurred and simultaneously verify the integrity of the transmission medium.

US Patent:

20120316621, Dec 13, 2012

Filed:

Jun 9, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/156660

Inventors:

Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US
Patrick D. Miller - Circle Pines MN, US

International Classification:

A61N 1/36

US Classification:

607 62

Abstract:

The disclosure describes methods and devices for providing early indicators of a lead-related condition in a medical electrical lead. Among other things, the methods and devices will detect, obtain, or provide indicators of static or intermittent disruptions in a conductive pathway of the lead based on changes in conductive continuity properties of a medical electrical lead. The conductive behaviors and properties will be managed to facilitate signal stability and fidelity. In some embodiments, the methods and devices may include functions to enable one or more of monitoring a lead's conductive pathway, detecting static and transient behaviors of the conductive pathway, stabilizing the monitored pathway, reconfiguring the pathway, and providing lead-related condition data to an associated implantable medical device. The early indicators may be generated in a real-time, continuous manner to provide early detection and notification of lead degradation.

US Patent:

20130109939, May 2, 2013

Filed:

Oct 18, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/654860

Inventors:

Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US

Assignee:

MEDTRONIC, INC. - Minneapolis MN

International Classification:

A61N 1/08
A61B 5/145
A61B 5/0215

US Classification:

600345, 607115, 600488, 607116

Abstract:

The disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus providing detection mechanism for lead-related conditions, including transient behaviors, on a conductive pathway of a medical electrical lead. In one example, a sense path arbitration module identifies a lead-related condition associated with a conductive pathway based on signal processing to identify transients emerging from a propagated signal. The sense path arbitration module may evaluate a plurality of conductive pathways of the medical electrical lead and arbitrates propagation of a sensed signal that is transmitted through the plurality of lead conductors based on the evaluation. Therapy delivery functions utilizing the medical electrical lead may also be controlled in response to the signal processing and identification of the lead-related condition on a conductive pathway.

US Patent:

20140031660, Jan 30, 2014

Filed:

Oct 2, 2013

Appl. No.:

14/043881

Inventors:

Thomas H. Spear - Bloomington MN, US
Nancy M. Germanson - Maple Grove MN, US

Assignee:

MEDTRONIC, INC. - Minneapolis MN

International Classification:

A61B 5/042
A61N 1/05

US Classification:

600374, 607119

Abstract:

Techniques are described for detecting lead-related conditions for implantable electrical leads. In some of the described embodiments, an implantable electrical lead assembly is provided with a coupling member for connecting a conductor and associated insulator(s) to an electrode/sensing element. The implantable medical device controls and performs a measurement of an electrical property of the electrical lead during periods when the conductor is decoupled from the electrode/sensing element. An indication of a lead-related condition is derived based on the measured electrical property. The lead-related condition may be associated with an insulator of a lead body of the electrical lead.