A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices

Category Archives: Treated Conditions

Implantable Devices to treat specific conditions

SMSI® Implantable Glucose Sensor

Posted on by Posted in Diabetes, Sensors for Medicine and Science, Telemetry

SMSI implantable glucose sensor Sensors for Medicine and Science, Inc. (SMSI)  of Germantown, MD was founded in 1997 to develop chemical sensing technologies based on fluorescence sensing.

SMSI® is now developing an implantable glucose sensor that is designed to automatically measure interstitial glucose every few minutes. The sensor implant communicates wirelessly with a small external reader, allowing it to track the rate of change of glucose levels and warn the user of impending hypo- or hyperglycemia. According to SMSI, the target operational life of the sensor implant will be 6-12 months, after which it would be replaced. Continue reading→

Elema-Schoenander and the Very First Human Implants of a Pacemaker in Sweden (1958) and Uruguay (1960)

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, CCC del Uruguay, Elema-Schonander (-1959), History, Museum, Pacesetter, Siemens-Elema (1959-1994), St. Jude Medical

First pacemaker to be implanted in a human patient (1958)

This is a picture of the first pacemaker to be implanted in a human patient.  It was developed by Dr. Rune Elmqvist (1906–1996), a physician by training, but working for the Swedish company Elema-Schonander as an engineer.   Dr. Elmqvist  developed the device in cooperation of Åke Senning, senior physician and cardiac surgeon at the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden. Continue reading→

MicroCHIPS’ Implantable Drug Delivery Device for the Treatment of Osteoporosis

Posted on by Posted in Drug Delivery, MicroChips, Osteoporosis
MicroCHIPS implantable drug-delivery device for the treatment of osteoporosis

Image Credit: MicroCHIPS

MicroCHIPS was founded in 1999 as an MIT spinoff to develop implantable sensors and drug-delivery devices.

MicroCHIPS’ drug-delivery technology is based on proprietary reservoir arrays that are used to store potent drugs within the body for long periods of time.  Individual device reservoirs can be opened on demand or on a predetermined schedule to precisely control drug release or sensor activation. Continue reading→

Neuromed’s TIME Battery- and RF-Powered Totally Implantable Multichannel Spinal Cord Stimulator (ca. 1988)

Posted on by Posted in Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), Brain Stimulation, Epilepsy, History, Museum, Neuromed (1980-1995), Pain, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Stimulation, St. Jude Medical, Wireless Power Transmission
Neuromed dual-power multichannel neurostimulator 1988

Neuromed TIME IPG on loan from Daniel Villamil's collection.

Neuromed was formed in 1980 with an initial capitalization of $150,000 by Bill Borkan through money obtained when Borkan`s parents took out a second mortgage on their home. Borkan’s desire to help his sister, Jennie, a cerebral palsy patient, got him started in neurostimulation technology. In the next few years, Neuromed developed and marketed a RF-powered implantable spinal cord stimulator, along with its external radio frequency transmitter.

Throughout the 1980s, development of more advanced devices was ongoing at Neuromed. My friend Daniel Villamil from CCC Medical has in his collection one of these more modern units, which he lent to me for photographing. The “Total Implantable Multichannel Electronics” (TIME) spinal cord stimulator shown in this picture went into clinical trials around 1988. This was a device that was internally powered by its own battery. However, it could also be RF-powered after the eventual battery failure. Continue reading→

St. Jude’s (ANS) Rechargeable Spinal Cord Stimulators Eon and Eon Mini

Posted on by Posted in Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation, St. Jude Medical, Tech Talk, Wireless Power Transmission

St Jude Medical Eon and Eon Mini Spinal Cord Stimulators

In 2005, St. Jude Medical purchased Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS) in Plano, Texas.  ANS had developed a number of spinal cord stimulation IPGs that were either externally powered via inductive link, internally powered by a primary cell, or internally powered by a transcutaneously rechargeable lithium-ion cell.

Today, the most popular St. Jude spinal cord stimulators are the rechargeable 42 cc Eon and 18 cc Eon mini neurostimulators.

They are constant-current devices with a rated longevity of 10 years. Current through up to 16 electrodes is programmable between 0-25.5 mA with a pulse width of 50-500 µs and a frequency between 2-1200 Hz. Continue reading→

Intermedics’ First Pacemakers (Mid 1970s)

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, History, Intermedics (1974-1999), Museum

Intermedics InterLith Pacemakers from the mid-1970s

In 1973, former Medtronic sales representative Albert Beutel founded Intermedics in Freeport, TX.  The first product was a small, mercury-cell-powered pacemaker.  In 1974 Intermedics introduced a lithium-powered version, and in 1976 it introduced InterLith which was hermetically sealed, and weighed just 65 grams.  At the time, InterLith’s size was a breakthrough, and became a very popular device, solidifying Intermedics’ position in the industry.

 

Original Datasheet for Arco’s Nuclear Pacemakers (ca. 1974)

Posted on by Posted in Arco Medical (1969-1980), Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, History, Museum, Nuclear Batteries

Original Arco Medical datasheet for NU5 plutonium-powered nuclear pacemaker

Some time ago, my friend and colleague Paul Spehr gave me a copy of Arco Medical’s product catalog.  I scanned the original datasheets for Arco Medical’s nuclear fixed-rate and demand pacemakers models NU-5 and NU-6 and posted them here in pdf format: Arco_Nuclear_Datasheets

Click here for a color picture and more information on Arco Medical’s nuclear pacemakers.

 

St. Jude’s DBS Study Confirms Benefit of Constant Current System for Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Posted in Brain Stimulation, Parkinson's Disease, St. Jude Medical
SJM Libra and Libra XP deep-brain neurostimulators to treat Parkinson's disease
Image Credit: St. Jude Medical

Today St. Jude announced that its first controlled study of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) confirms benefit of constant current system for patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Results were published online today by The Lancet Neurology journal. The aim of the study was to evaluate the Libra(TM) and LibraXP(TM) DBS constant current systems to determine the devices’ safety and effectiveness in managing the symptoms of PD. Continue reading→

American Optical Cardio-Care Demand Pacemaker (1968)

Posted on by Posted in American Optical (1965-1975), Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, History, Museum

American Optical Cardio-Care Implantable Demand Pacemaker (1968)

Barouh Berkovits at American Optical Co of Boston, MA designed the first “Demand Pacemaker” – what we now know as a VVI pacemaker. The Cardio-Care Demand Pacemaker, introduced in 1968, was American Optical’s first implantable device.

From Kirk Jeffrey’s Machines in our Hearts(2001):

“Berkovits in 1963 designed a sensing capability into the pacemaker. His invention behaved exactly like an asynchronous pacer until it detected a naturally occurring R wave, the indication of a ventricular contraction. This event would reset the timing circuit of the pacemaker, and the countdown to the next stimulus would begin anew. Thus the pacer stimulated the heart only when the ventricles failed to contract. It worked only ‘‘on demand.’’ As an added benefit, noncompetitive pacing extended the life of the battery. Continue reading→

A Challenge to History Buffs: Who Was Digikon?

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, Digikon, History, Museum

Digikon model LD451 Ventricular Inhibited Pulse Generator

I took this picture a very long time ago at the office of one of my implanter friends in Europe.  Ever since then, I’ve tried to find out about “Digikon,” but have had no luck so far.  All that I have been able to find from the St. Jude legacy device database is that Digikon had produced a number of pacemaker models, including the one shown in this picture.

Do you know anything about Digikon?  Please let me know!

Cook Pacemaker’s Sensor Kelvin 504 Central-Venous-Temperature-Sensing Pacemaker (ca. 1992)

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, Cook Pacemaker, History, Museum

Cook Pacemakers Sensor Kelvin Model 504 central-venous-temperature-sensing rate-responsive pacemaker

In 1983, Bill Cook and Dr. Neal Fearnot began to work under the Cook Pacemaker Company in Leechburg, PA on developing the technology developed by Dr. Fearnot at Purdue University into an improved prototype for a temperature-based exercise responsive pacemaker that was released in 1988 as the Kelvin Sensor rate-responsive pacemaker.  One of the first CVT rate-adaptive pacemakers was the Cook Model Kelvin 500 series. Continue reading→

Intermedics’ Circadia Central Venous Temperature-Sensing Pacemaker (ca. 1993)

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, History, Intermedics (1974-1999), Museum

Intermedics Circadia central-venous-temperature-sensing rate-responsive pacemaker

Back side of Intermedics Circadia pacemaker. Labeling shows special connector for temperature-sensing lead.

The Circadia pacemaker was one of the very few devices that had a lead-borne thermistor to measure cental venous temperature (CVT) as a sensor for rate-response.

A unique feature of this pacemaker was an iridium-oxide (IrOx)-coated button welded to the can.  It was believed that this button would improve unipolar IEGM sensing and reduce unipolar pacing thresholds (it didn’t). Continue reading→

Cook’s Sensor Kelvin and Intermedics’ Circadia Temperature-Sensing Rate-Responsive Pacemakers

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, Cook Pacemaker, History, Intermedics (1974-1999), Museum

 

Cook Pacemaker's Kelvin and Intermedics' Circadia central venous temperature-controlled rate-responsive pacemakersOne of the indicators of metabolic demand that has been used for controlling the rate of pacemakers is central venous blood temperature (CVT).

In 1983, Bill Cook and Dr. Neal Fearnot began to work under the Cook Pacemaker Company on developing the technology developed by Dr. Fearnot at Purdue University into an improved prototype for a temperature-based exercise responsive pacemaker that was released in 1988 as the Kelvin Sensor rate-responsive pacemaker.  One of the first CVT rate-adaptive pacemakers was the Cook Model Kelvin 500 series.

Another one of the first CVT rate-adaptive pacemakers was the Intermedics Nova MR, which differs from the Kelvin 500 series in that its pacing algorithm had a more dynamic HR response. Continue reading→

Medtronic’s Chronicle Implantable Hemodynamic Monitor for Heart Failure Monitoring

Posted on by Posted in ECG Monitoring, Heart Failure (CHF), History, Medtronic, Telemetry
Medtronics Chronicle Implantable Hemodynamics Monitor
Image Credit: Medtronic

The Medtronic Chronicle implantable hemodynamic monitor used a specialized RV lead/sensor.  The device was able to monitor and telemeter:

  • Systolic and diastolic pressure
  • Estimated pulmonary artery diastolic pressure
  • RV dp/dt (positive & negative)
  • Heart rate & activity
  • Core body temperature
  • Continuous remote monitoring
  • Continue reading→