St. Jude Medical has received FDA clearance to market its implantable cardiac surveillance monitor, the SJM Confirm™.
From the press release:
The implantable monitor enables physicians to evaluate heart rhythm signals over a longer period of time than allowed by standard monitoring tests, and is designed to help them diagnose and document difficult-to-detect rhythm disorders in patients who may suffer from unexplained symptoms, including syncope (the sudden and transient loss of consciousness), palpitations and shortness of breath.
About the size of a computer thumb drive, the SJM Confirm ICM is the smallest implantable cardiac monitor available. It is implanted just under the skin (subcutaneously) in the upper chest region and can be implanted in an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. Patients are able to remotely send data to their physicians when they experience symptoms. This real-time data helps physicians diagnose and treat the arrhythmias.
The SJM Confirm ICM features a St. Jude Medical sensing algorithm designed to enhance signal detection, thus enabling physicians to program the device to be more sensitive to small and wide-ranging signals. Electrodes on the monitor sense cardiac activity and a continuous loop recorder stores information about the heart’s activity. The electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of the device; this design is intended to provide better contact with the subcutaneous tissue for more accurate sensing of cardiac signals.
The SJM Confirm ICM is the first implantable monitor to be built on a unified platform, which has enabled St. Jude Medical to more quickly introduce devices with new features and diagnostics (as they become available) because the basic platform for all of the devices is the same. The St. Jude Medical “Unity” device platform first was introduced in September 2007 with the launch of its Promote(R) RF CRT-D and the Current(R) RF ICD devices. Due to its uniform software interfaces and expanded features, the new platform gives physicians more choices during device programming and patient follow-up.
The SJM Confirm ICM also features:Programmable event triggers, which enable physicians to program the device to automatically capture and record up to 60 seconds before and after a cardiac event Three year device longevity Compatibility with the St. Jude Medical(R) Merlin(R) Patient Care System, a powerful, portable computer designed to help physicians access and analyze diagnostic information and print full-size comprehensive data reports Remote monitoring that allows patients to send data directly to their physicians
Product page: SJM Confirm™ Implantable Cardiac Monitor…
Press release: St. Jude Medical Announces FDA Clearance of Implantable Device to Monitor Cardiac Conditions