633 results about "Sub threshold" patented technology

The invention provides methods and apparatus for determining in a non-tracking pacing mode (e.g., DDI / R, VVI / R) whether a ventricular pacing stimulus is capturing a paced ventricle, including some or all of the following aspects. For example, increasing a ventricular pacing rate a nominal amount to an overdrive pacing rate higher than a most recent heart rate and evaluating a conduction interval from a first pacing ventricle to a second sensing ventricle and then continuing to monitor the underlying rate to ensure that a threshold testing pacing rate will not exceed a predetermined minimum interval and providing pacing stimulation to the first ventricle and sensing the second ventricle to determine whether the pacing stimulation to the first ventricle was one of sub-threshold and supra-threshold. The methods and apparatus are especially useful in conjunction with ensuring actual delivery of a ventricular pacing regime (e.g., cardiac resynchronization therapy or “CRT”).

A method and neurostimulation system of providing therapy to a patient is provided. At least one electrode is placed in contact with tissue of a patient. A sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing, conditioning pre-pulse (e.g., an anodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to render a first region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal root fibers) less excitable to stimulation, and a depolarizing stimulation pulse (e.g., a cathodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to stimulate a second different region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal column fibers). The conditioning pre-pulse has a relatively short duration (e.g., less than 200 μs).

A capping layer may be deposited over the active channel of a thin film transistor (TFT) in order to protect the active channel from contamination. The capping layer may affect the performance of the TFT. If the capping layer contains too much hydrogen, nitrogen, or oxygen, the threshold voltage, sub threshold slope, and mobility of the TFT may be negatively impacted. By controlling the ratio of the flow rates of the nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen containing gases, the performance of the TFT may be optimized. Additionally, the power density, capping layer deposition pressure, and the temperature may also be controlled to optimize the TFT performance.

A method of operating an implantable neuromodulator coupled to an electrode array implanted adjacent tissue of a patient includes conveying electrical modulation energy to the tissue per a series of modulation parameter sets, thereby displacing the locus of the resulting electrical field laterally relative to the tissue, associating a plurality of different loci with the modulation parameter sets, causing the patient to perceive paresthesia, identifying a modulation parameter set as creating an electrical field having a locus disposed on a physiological midline of the patient based on the perceived paresthesia, deriving another modulation parameter set from the identified modulation parameter set, conveying electrical modulation energy to the patient per the other modulation parameter set, thereby creating an electrical field having a locus relative to the tissue that is the same as the locus of the electrical field associated with the identified modulation parameter set, without causing paresthesia.

Coarse / fine programming of non-volatile memory is provided in which memory cells are programmed at a first rate of programming prior to reaching a coarse verify level for their intended state and a second rate of programming after reaching the coarse verify level but before reaching the final verify level for their intended state. Large sub-threshold swing factors associated with smaller memory cells can affect the accuracy of sense operations, particularly when sensing at a fine verify level after sensing at a coarse verify level without pre-charging the bit line between the different sensings. Different reference potentials are utilized when sensing at a coarse verify level and a final verify level. The different between the reference potentials can compensate for any discharge of the bit line during the coarse level sensing.