St. Jude Medical, Inc. is describing its Victory® pacemakers, a family of devices with a new European CE Mark approval, now cleared for sale in EU countries:
The pacemakers offer an important combination of features, including optimized settings to save time at implant, VIP(TM) (Ventricular Intrinsic Preference) technology to minimize ventricular pacing, the FastPath(TM) summary screen to speed follow-up exams, and advanced technologies to extend the life of the device in patients.
“The Victory pacemaker comes with optimized settings right out of the box, which greatly reduces device set-up time at implant,” said Wolfgang Ehrlich, M.D., who performed the first implant at the Kerckhoff Klinik in Bad Nauheim, Germany.
A cardiac surgery team directed by Wolf-Peter Kloevekorn, M.D. and the cardiology department, under the direction of Christian Hamm, M.D., assisted in the first implant procedure.
“The ability of the Victory pacemaker to measure thresholds and intrinsic events and display those results with EGMs (intracardiac electrograms) for quick verification means that 80% of standard follow-up testing is complete when the patient walks in the door,” said Johannes Sperzel, M.D., who performed the first patient follow-up.
Victory(R) pacemakers also introduce VIP(TM) technology, an enhancement developed from years of clinical experience with the AutoIntrinsic Conduction Search (AICS) feature. VIP(TM) technology is designed to promote more natural heart function and minimizes ventricular pacing. This is an important clinical consideration, since studies such as St. Jude Medical’s DAVID (Dual-Chamber And VVI Implantable Defibrillator) trial have shown that excessive ventricular pacing may contribute to heart failure in some patients. VIP(TM) technology is designed to allow the patient’s own heartbeat to be “in control” the majority of the time.
Any necessary in-clinic testing can be completed more rapidly than before with the FastPath(TM) summary screen, which provides pre-set test values and increases flexibility with multiple follow-up options. This allows clinicians to spend more time with the patient and less time programming the device.
Engineered to anticipate a wide variety of the diagnostic and therapy needs of patients, Victory(R) pacemakers (models 5810 and 5816) also offer a suite of algorithms designed to make it easier for physicians to manage patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the world’s most common cardiac arrhythmia that results in a very fast, uncontrolled heart rhythm caused when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) quiver instead of beating.
Other innovative technology in the Victory(R) pacemakers includes ventricular AutoCapture(TM) pacing, Advanced Hysteresis and Auto Rest Rate, which may improve the longevity of the pacemaker as well as reduce the number of replacement surgeries patients must undergo.
The press release is here…
St. Jude Medical website…