Pacemaker News and Research

RSS

Researchers discover new treatment for difficult-to-control high blood pressure

Researchers were surprised to discover what may be a potential new treatment for difficult-to-control high blood pressure, according to a case report published in the January 25, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Jan 2011

FDA approves Spectranetics PMA for manufacturing site change for CVX-300 laser system

Spectranetics Corporation today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company's premarket approval application (PMA) supplement requesting a manufacturing site change for the CVX-300® laser system.

20 Jan 2011

'Pacemaker' Hcn4 gene responsible for generation of repetitive activity in SAN tissue and heart rate regulation

The study of Dario DiFrancesco and his equipe identifies the "pacemaker" Hcn4 gene as the gene functionally responsible for the generation of repetitive activity in sinoatrial node tissue and for the regulation of heart rate. Hcn4 codes for HCN4 channels, the molecular components of "funny" ion channels of pacemaker cells of the sinoatrial node (SAN) tissue.

14 Jan 2011

European CE Mark approval for IntraPace's abiliti system

IntraPace, announced today that it has received European CE Mark approval for the abiliti system as a treatment for obesity. The CE Mark certifies that a product has met European Union requirements for commercial marketing in Europe.

11 Jan 2011

Unexpected discovery holds promise for PTSD, other anxiety disorders

An unexpected discovery by UCLA life scientists holds promise for the future development of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, and potentially for Alzheimer's disease and other memory-impairment diseases.

7 Jan 2011

NHS wastes £1bn on supplier rates: Report

The head of a cost-cutting programme revealed that eight NHS trusts are routinely paying 19 different sums for the same pacemaker – a discrepancy that is wasting up to £750 a time.

4 Jan 2011

Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce inflammation, disease symptoms and cartilage degeneration

Omega-3 fatty acids from seafood may reduce inflammation, symptoms of gum disease and risk of abnormal heartbeats early after cardiac surgery. One type of omega-3, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), may also have lasting benefits in visual function for years in children whose mothers consume sufficient prenatal DHA.

30 Dec 2010

Ontario hospital implants powerful new defibrillator

St. Michael's Hospital today became the first in Ontario to implant a small but powerful new defibrillator into a patient's chest.

22 Dec 2010

IEEE members are transforming the future of medicine and healthcare

Members of IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association, are advancing the application of engineering sciences and technology with medicine and biology to make healthcare personal again.

8 Dec 2010

St. Jude presents results from ASSERT trial for stroke at American Heart Association

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced the results of the ASymptomatic AF and Stroke Evaluation in Pacemaker Patients and the AF Reduction Atrial Pacing Trial (ASSERT), a St. Jude Medical sponsored trial conducted by the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Canada.

16 Nov 2010

Medtronic Eureka medical technology innovation portal launched

Medtronic today launched Medtronic Eureka, a European web-based portal for medical technology innovation designed to help physicians and medical technology inventors to bring their innovative ideas to life.

15 Nov 2010

Scientists uncover DNA sequence variations associated with cardiac electrical activity

Scientists studying genetic data from nearly 50,000 people have uncovered several DNA sequence variations associated with the electrical impulses that make the heart beat. The findings, reported in Nature Genetics, may pave the way for a greater understanding of the mechanisms for abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death.

15 Nov 2010

St. Jude Medical third quarter net sales increase 7% to $1.240 billion

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the third quarter ended October 2, 2010.

20 Oct 2010

U-M hopes to make concept of recycling pacemakers a life-saving reality

Millions worldwide die each year because they can't afford a pacemaker. Meanwhile heart patients in the United States say they'd be willing to donate theirs after death to someone in need.

20 Oct 2010

CIED implantation with AIGISRx Antibacterial Envelope reduces overall infection rate

Patients undergoing CIED (Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device) implantation with TYRX, Inc.'s FDA-cleared AIGISRx Antibacterial Envelope enjoyed a 99.5% rate of successful implantation with an overall infection rate of 0.48% in the first 1.9 months following the procedure, as reported in newly published results of TYRX's COMMAND Clinical Study.

20 Oct 2010

Integra launches CRW Precision Arc Stereotactic System for neurosurgery

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of the CRW Precision™ Arc Stereotactic System, a multi-purpose stereotactic system used for localizing intra-cranial targets and precisely directing instruments to the target in cases such as brain biopsy, tumor resection, and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgeries.

18 Oct 2010

Proper dosing of beta blockers can save many lives after heart attack

For nearly 40 years a class of drugs known as beta blockers have been proven to increase patients' survival prospects following a heart attack by decreasing the cardiac workload and oxygen demand on the heart. In a breakthrough study released in the American Heart Journal, Northwestern Medicine cardiologist Jeffrey J. Goldberger found the majority of patients are frequently not receiving a large enough dose of these drugs, which can put their recovery from heart attacks and overall health into peril.

15 Oct 2010

MRI-guided laser ablation offers way to kill tumors

Physicians at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus are among the first in the nation to use a technique known as MRI-guided laser ablation to heat up and destroy kidney and liver tumors. So far, five patients have been successfully treated meaning no visible tumors remained after the procedure.

15 Oct 2010

New, longer lasting LVAD implanted in Canadian heart-failure patient

In a Canadian first, the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre used a new kind of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to treat a patient with advanced heart failure. The new device is longer lasting than older generation LVADs and may eliminate the need for a second LVAD - a major drawback with the old technology.

13 Oct 2010

Scientists use directed light to cause arrhythmia in genetically modified mice

Scientists at the University of Bonn have altered cardiac muscle cells to make them controllable with light. They were thus able to use directed light to cause conditions such as arrhythmia in genetically modified mice. The method opens up completely new possibilities for researching the development of such arrhythmias. The study will be published in the upcoming edition of "Nature Methods".

5 Oct 2010