HospiMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News AI Critical Care Surgical Techniques Patient Care Health IT Point of Care Business Focus

Miniature Cardiac Implant Captures Heart Rhythm Data

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Nov 2017
Print article
Image: The world’s first smartphone-enabled and insertable cardiac monitor (Photo courtesy of Abbott).
Image: The world’s first smartphone-enabled and insertable cardiac monitor (Photo courtesy of Abbott).
A smartphone compatible insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) helps physicians and patients monitor abnormal heart rhythms remotely.

The Abbott (Abbott Park, IL, USA) Confirm Rx ICM is a slim, discreet subcutaneous implant that continuously monitors a patient's heart rhythm, providing powerful data to help monitor irregular heartbeats, unexplained syncope, palpitations, and suspected atrial fibrillation (AF). The rhythm data is proactively transmitted wirelessly to the myMerlin mobile app, which is available in over 35 languages. MyMerlin mobile also helps patients to record their symptoms on their own smartphone, as well as specify events such as fainting, or if they experience a fast heart rate.

The Confirm Rx ICM limits communication to a single authenticated myMerlin mobile app, and all wireless communications are encrypted using the highest standards in mobile security. This allows patients to sync their data with their clinic at any time, and view their transmission history without having to contact their clinic to confirm successful data transfers. Patients can also get automatic alerts when they have missed a scheduled transmission, saving the clinic from having to follow up with the patient.

“Confirm Rx shows what we can do with cutting edge communication technology and the most advanced medical devices that provide new opportunities to improve patient care,” said Avi Fischer, MD, medical director of Abbott's Cardiac Rhythm Management business. “By offering a device that uses Bluetooth wireless technology from the patient's smartphone, we can help physicians easily and remotely diagnose potentially dangerous abnormal heart beats, without requiring the patient to use a separate or cumbersome recording device.”

The Confirm Rx ICM system was developed by St. Jude Medical (SJM, St. Paul, MN, USA), which was acquired by Abbot in January 2017 for USD 25 billion with the intention of creating a premier medical device company. An extensive development pipeline is expected to deliver a steady stream of new medical devices across cardiovascular, diabetes, vision, and neuromodulation patient care.

Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Soft-Tissues Biopsy Needle
MR-CLEAR

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The multi-sensing device can be implanted into blood vessels to help physicians deliver timely treatment (Photo courtesy of IIT)

Miniaturized Implantable Multi-Sensors Device to Monitor Vessels Health

Researchers have embarked on a project to develop a multi-sensing device that can be implanted into blood vessels like peripheral veins or arteries to monitor a range of bodily parameters and overall health status.... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable, handheld BeamClean technology inactivates pathogens on commonly touched surfaces in seconds (Photo courtesy of Freestyle Partners)

First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds

Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The Quantra Hemostasis System has received US FDA special 510(k) clearance for use with its Quantra QStat Cartridge (Photo courtesy of HemoSonics)

Critical Bleeding Management System to Help Hospitals Further Standardize Viscoelastic Testing

Surgical procedures are often accompanied by significant blood loss and the subsequent high likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusions. These transfusions, while critical, are linked to various... Read more