A fundamental tension exists between safety in the common case and security under adversarial conditions for wireless implantable medical devices. We propose a class of new, fail-open defensive techniques for implantable medical devices that attempt to strike a balance between these two goals. We refer to these defensive techniques as Communication Cloakers. Cloakers are externally worn devices...

active implantable medical device (AIMD) active medical device which is intended to be totally or partially introduced, surgically or medically, into the human body or by medical intervention into a natural orifice, and which is intended to remain after the procedure. AIMD covers implantable products such as cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, infusion pumps, diaphragm stimulators, bladder stim...

Damage to the coronary arteries and related structures from pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead implantation is a rarely reported complication that can lead to myocardial infarction and pericardial tamponade that may occur acutely or even years later. We summarize the reported cases of injury to coronary arteries and related structures and review the causes of troponin ele...

A novel partially implantable system for correction of foot drop has been developed and is being tested in three volunteer subjects. The system consists of a two-channel implantable stimulator, a multi-polar nerve cuff electrode implanted on the peroneal nerve proximal to the knee, and an external system including battery, control and telemetry unit and a heel switch. Although the work is still...

This report discusses a selection of the most relevant articles on cardiac arrhythmias and pacing published in 2013. The first section discusses arrhythmias, classified as regular paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular arrhythmias, together with their treatment by means of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The next section reviews cardiac pac...

Microcomputers, microsensors, micropumps, micropower sources, and micromedication dispenssers, in the form of programmable systems, are being developed for implantation in humans. An implantable insulin pump system for the control of diabetes has been developed. An extension of this technique is discussed in the form of a microcomputer-controlled closed-loop system by which medication is dispen...

An increasing number of patients have a coexisting implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to treat ventricular arrhythmias and refractory heart failure, respectively. To date, there have been no published reports of negative interactions between these devices that have impacted appropriate ICD or LVAD function. In this case report, we describe a p...

Lamin A/C gene-related cardiomyopathy is associated with progressive heart failure and malignant arrhythmias. Current guidelines advise the use of implantable defibrillators to prevent arrhythmogenic sudden cardiac death only in situations where there is evidence of severe left ventricular dysfunction. We describe a case of a woman with genetically confirmed Lamin C deficiency with preserved le...

Implantable limb lengthening using noninvasively adjusted telescopic nails dates back to 1983. The newest technology is the Precice (Ellipse Technologies). A retrospective study of the first 65 Precice nails was carried out for the treatment of limb length discrepancy (unilateral) and short stature (bilateral). Successful lengthening was achieved in all patients. There were numerous distraction...

The implantable loop recorder has been shown to be a cost-effective tool for diagnosis of intermittent cardiovascular symptoms such as syncope and palpitations. Electromagnetic interference in these recorders may be caused by commonly encountered electronic devices such as antitheft electronic surveillance systems and magnetic resonance imaging cameras. In this report, we describe interference ...