Abbott launches smartphone compatible insertable cardiac monitor to detect arrhythmias

Through ICM, physicians can remotely monitor their patients for difficult to detect cardiac arrhythmias, including irregular heartbeats

Abbott recently launched the latest in Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) across India, providing patients access to the smartphone compatible ICM. The technology is designed to help physicians remotely identify cardiac arrhythmias.

Abbott’s latest ICM is smartphone compatible ICM to help physicians identify difficult to detect cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF), in order to help guide appropriate therapy. It is designed to continuously monitor a patient’s heart rhythm and proactively transmit information via bluetooth wireless technology to Abbott’s mobile app for this, allowing physicians to follow their patients remotely and accurately diagnose arrhythmias that may require further treatment. Reportedly, the device has received the CE Mark and USFDA approvals and is available in the EU, US, as well as Australia.

Speaking on the importance of the device, Dr Balbir Singh, Chairman, Medanta Hospital said, “The insertable cardiac monitor is extremely useful, because as the smallest cardiac care device which can diagnose some unknown, yet dangerous heart rhythm problems, it provides early diagnosis and timely treatment to events which could be catastrophic.”

Ajay Singh Chauhan, General Manager, India & Subcontinent, Abbott-St Jude Medical says, “This new ICM is taking cardiac monitoring to a whole new level. The device provides patients a new way to monitor for abnormal heart rhythms while staying connected to their physician remotely and engaged in their health care. For physicians, the device allows for effective management of patients while enhancing patient compliance through smartphone connectivity. If left undetected, arrhythmias can lead to additional – and often serious – complications for patients.”

At times, it is not easy to determine infrequent arrhythmias. Dr Aparna Jaswal, Associate Director at Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi says, “The ICM can help us diagnose patients having infrequent, but potentially fatal episodes of cardiac arrhythmias and choose the appropriate treatment modalities for such patients.”

Once implanted—just under the skin in the chest during a quick, minimally-invasive outpatient procedure—the Abbott ICM continuously monitors heart rhythms to detect a range of cardiac arrhythmias, including irregular heartbeats, or atrial fibrillation, and is the slimmest ICM available today. It is the size of two paper clips, stacked on top of each other. The device also allows patients to avoid a separate or cumbersome recording device, which is often the requirement.

While the ICM continuously monitors for abnormal heart rhythms and transmits data to a patient’s physician, the app also allows patients to track symptoms proactively, 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 record their symptoms such as fainting spells or heart palpitations in the app on their smart phones, to complement the information being monitored by the device. ICM helps enhance patient compliance, without additional clinic burden. Thus it can effectively manage patients from a simple insertion procedure to streamlined remote follow-up.