The devices offer new opportunities for patient engagement and remote monitoring through smartphone connectivity and connected applications
Abbott launched its new implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices, bringing advanced heart rhythm management capabilities along with a new set of benefits to people in India with abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure.
The devices offer new opportunities for patient engagement and remote monitoring through smartphone connectivity and connected applications. Additional benefits include a patient preferred design, improved battery longevity and MRI compatibility.
The company has reportedly incorporated the latest cybersecurity controls and partnered with industry cybersecurity experts to provide input into the design and testing of these controls. This approach provides the ability to more seamlessly update the device as cybersecurity threats evolve in the future. The design does not compromise on battery longevity or high voltage output.
India was the only country outside the European Union where a “New Technology Assessment,” which includes physician feedback surveys, for this new portfolio of high voltage (HV) and CRT-D devices took place. As per a release, the first implant in India was conducted earlier in the year by Dr Balbir Singh, Chairman & Head of Cardiology, Max Group of Hospitals, New Delhi.
“There is seamless connectivity between the device and the programmer. In fact, the first transmission made with the patient’s phone was completed within a few seconds,” Dr Singh said.
The new system pairs with Abbott’s secure remote monitoring app which is smartphone compatible. It is therefore connected and helps streamline communication and increase engagement between doctors and their patients. For example, the app allows patients to engage more frequently with their healthcare team by providing access to transmission history and device performance. Through the app, physicians can monitor their patients remotely, allowing for identification of asymptomatic episodes as well as patient-triggered transmissions, which can lead to earlier intervention.
In addition to enhanced remote monitoring capabilities, this CRT-D system includes multiple point pacing and optimisation features to help more patients respond to CRT therapy. Also, the ICD device includes Abbott’s tailored therapy suite to help physicians more intuitively program their patient’s devices.