# US 10,371,734 B2 · Medical devices and methods for treatment of hypertension that utilize impedance compensation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,734 B2 - Document ID: US10371734B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/045,108 - Filed: 2016-02-16 - Published: 2016-06-09 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Applicants: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Inventors: Prabodh Mathur - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371734B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - A61B 18/16: Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding - A61N 1/0551: {Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes} - A61N 1/36117: {for treating hypertension} - A61N 1/36139: {with automatic adjustment} - A61B 18/1233: {with circuits for assuring patient safety} - A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)} - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 2017/0003: {of parts of the instruments} - A61B 2017/22001: {Angioplasty, e.g. PCTA} - A61B 2018/0022: {Balloons} - A61B 2018/00267: {having a basket shaped structure} - A61B 2018/00285: {Balloons} - A61B 2018/00404: {Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart} - A61B 2018/00434: {Neural system} - A61B 2018/00511: {Kidney} - A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation} - A61B 2018/00815: {measured by a thermistor} - A61B 2018/00821: {measured by a thermocouple} - A61B 2018/162: {located on the probe body} - A61B 2090/376: {using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. An example medical device may include a control unit for determining an electrical leakage between a first electrode pad and a second electrode pad of an in vivo medical device. The first electrode pad may be spaced from the second electrode pad. The first electrode pad may have an active electrode and a spaced ground electrode. The second electrode pad may have an active electrode and a ground electrode. The ground electrode of the first electrode pad may be electrically connected to the ground electrode of the second electrode pad. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a medical device including at least a first and second electrode assembly, each assembly having an active electrode and a ground electrode, the ground electrodes electrically connected to each other; a control unit electrically connected to the medical device; a controller communicatively coupled to the control unit, the controller programmed to: determine a measure that is related to an impedance between the active electrode and ground electrode of the first electrode assembly; determine a measure that is related to an impedance between the active electrode and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly; and determine an estimate of electrical leakage between the active electrode of the first electrode assembly and the ground electrode of the second electrode assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode assemblies comprise first and second electrode pads, the active electrode and ground electrode of each assembly is disposed on its respective pad, and the first and second electrode pads are spaced apart from each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of each of the first and second electrode assembly is determined by applying a signal to the respective active electrode of each assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the estimate of electrical leakage is determined by using the measure that is related to the impedance between the active electrode and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to compensate the measure that is related to the impedance between the active electrode and the ground electrode of the first electrode assembly based on the estimate of the electrical leakage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: each of the first and second electrode assemblies has respectively two or more active electrodes connected together with active electrode traces and two or more ground electrodes connected together with ground electrode traces; wherein the ground electrode traces are electrically connected and form a common ground electrode trace; and wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the active electrode traces and the common ground electrode trace. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the medical device further including a third electrode assembly having an active electrode and a ground electrode, wherein the ground electrode of the third electrode assembly is electrically connected to the ground electrode of each of the first and second electrode assembly, the controller further programmed to: determine a measure that is related to an impedance between the active electrode and the ground electrode of the third electrode assembly; and determine an estimate of the electrical leakage between the active electrode of the first electrode assembly and the ground electrode of the third electrode assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of the third electrode assembly is determined by applying a signal to the active electrode of the third electrode assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the controller determines the estimate of the electrical leakage by multiplying a constant by the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the controller determines the estimate of the electrical leakage by using the measure that is related to the impedance between the active electrode and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly in a linear function. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the controller determines the estimate of the electrical leakage by using the measure that is related to the impedance between the active electrode and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly in a non-linear function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the non-linear function is dependent on one or more of temperature and voltage of the applied signals. ### Claim 13 A method for determining electrical leakage between at least first and second electrode assemblies of a medical device, each assembly having an active and ground electrode, the ground electrode of each assembly electrically connected to each other, the method comprising: determining measures that are related to an impedance between the active and ground electrode of the first electrode assembly and the active and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly; and using the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of the second electrode assembly to determine an estimate of the electrical leakage between the active electrode of the first electrode assembly and the ground electrode of the second electrode assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of each of the first and second electrode assembly is determined by applying a first and second signal to the respective active electrode of each assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is applied before or after the second signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is applied at the same time as the second signal. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a medical device having at least first and second electrode pads, each electrode pad having an active electrode and a ground electrode, the ground electrodes of the first and second electrode pads electrically connected to each other; and a control unit coupled to the medical device, the control unit programmed to: determine measures that are related to respective impedances between the active electrode and ground electrode of the first and second electrode pads; use the determined measures to estimate electrical leakage between the active electrode of the first electrode pad and the ground electrode of the second electrode pad; and compensate the measure that is related to the impedance between the active and ground electrode of the first electrode pad based on the estimate of the electrical leakage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein: each of the at least first and second electrode pads include respectively two or more active electrodes connected together with first and second active electrode traces and two or more ground electrodes connected together with first and second ground electrode traces; wherein the first and second ground electrode traces are electrically connected and form a common ground electrode trace; and wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the first and second active electrode traces and the common ground electrode trace. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, the medical device further including a third electrode pad, the third electrode pad having an active electrode and a ground electrode, wherein the ground electrode of the third electrode pad is electrically connected to the ground electrode of each of the first and second electrode pads, the controller further programmed to: determine a measure that is related to an impedance between the active electrode and the ground electrode of the third electrode pad; and determine an estimate of the electrical leakage between the active electrode of the first electrode pad and the ground electrode of the third electrode pad. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the control unit is programmed to determine the estimate of the electrical leakage by multiplying a constant by the measure that is related to the impedance between the active electrode and the ground electrode of the second electrode pad.