Implantable Defibrillators Reduce Inappropriate Shocks

A portfolio of new implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-Ds) recognize life-threatening arrhythmias and deliver therapeutic shocks only when appropriate, thus enhancing patient quality of life.

The Medtronic Protecta family of ICDs and CRT-Ds feature SmartShock technology, which is comprised of six new solutions, five of which were not previously available; the Medtronic exclusive algorithms are automatically turned on when implanted, and address the industry-wide issue of inappropriate shocks. They include Wavelet + PR Logic, SVT discrimination in the VF zone, and Confirmation + in Protecta devices that are designed to detect nonlethal arrhythmias. T-wave Discrimination and Lead Noise Discrimination distinguish oversensing from deadly arrhythmias and withhold shock therapy when appropriate. The Lead Integrity Alert provides advanced warning of potential lead fractures so the patient can seek medical attention, and reduces the risk of receiving an inappropriate shock.


All Protecta XT devices have OptiVol 2.0 fluid status monitoring, an update on the Medtronic-exclusive feature that measures changes in fluid build-up in heart failure patients to identify patients at risk of worsening heart failure. The implantable defibrillators also have Conexus wireless telemetry that allows patients to transmit device data to a physician's clinic from virtually anywhere via a remote monitoring system (the Medtronic CareLink Network), which serves more than 4,000 clinics and 500,000 patients in 30 countries. The Protecta family of ICDs and CRT-Ds are products of Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA), and have received the European Community (CE) marking of approval.

"The Protecta family of devices addresses one of physicians' top needs--allowing them to better serve patients by providing devices that are designed to deliver a shock only when needed to save a life,” said Pat Mackin, president of the cardiac rhythm disease management business and senior vice president at Medtronic. "This new innovation is the latest example of Medtronic's 20-year leadership in shock reduction technology through product innovation backed by industry-leading clinical research.”

"With recent studies showing that up to one in five patients may experience inappropriate shocks, this new technology can significantly mitigate that concern and will have a real-world impact on my patients' lives by improving quality of life,” said Kent Volosin, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA).

Related Links:
Medtronic
University of Pennsylvania