Pacemaker News and Research

RSS

ESC updates Clinical Practice Guidelines on devices for heart failure treatment

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today announces a focused update of its Clinical Practice Guidelines covering Device Therapy in Heart Failure. This is the first time that current ESC guidelines have been updated, reflecting the pace of research in this field and the importance of recently published evidence.

2 Sep 2010

DANPACE trial shows dual chamber pacing decreases atrial fibrillation in sick sinus syndrome

DANPACE, a Danish multicentre randomised trial comparing single lead atrial and dual chamber pacing in patients with sick sinus syndrome, concludes that dual chamber pacing, which was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation and re-operation, "should be the preferred pacing mode".

31 Aug 2010

SHIFT study finds Ivabradine reduces heart failure risk

Ivabradine, a selective If inhibitor already investigated for its effects in coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction, significantly lowers the risk of heart failure, according to results of the SHIFT study (Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial).

30 Aug 2010

23rd ECNP Press conference on impact of circadian rhythms on human brain

All humans are synchronised to the rhythmic light-dark changes that occur on a daily basis. Rhythms in physiological and biochemical processes and behavioural patterns persist in the absence of all external 24-hour signals from the physical environment, with a period that is close to 24 hours

30 Aug 2010

FDA clears SonoSite's LumenVu Catheter Guidance System

SonoSite, Inc., the world leader and specialist in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound, announced today that it received FDA clearance for its innovative LumenVu® Catheter Guidance System. Designed to aid in the placement of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC), the proprietary LumenVu System combines near-infrared technology with a revolutionary fiber optic stylet, which replaces a traditional guide wire, to allow visualization and real-time tracking of a catheter tip as it advances through a vein.

27 Aug 2010

Salinas Valley Memorial participates in trial of AngelMed Guardian System in high-risk heart patients

Imagine a day when you could be alerted to your impending heart attack before it happens. Research that got underway today at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System could help that become a reality someday.

26 Aug 2010

'Pre-vascularization' of device prior to implantation sustains circulation and suppresses scar formation

By creating a unique system of blood vessels that is engineered to interact with the tissue surrounding an implanted device, the longevity and function of these devices may be better preserved, according to a study led by researchers in the University of Louisville/ Jewish Hospital's Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (CII).

24 Aug 2010

Natick VNA offers checklist to help patients make informed choice of home health care provider

Home from the hospital already? As stays for hospital patients grow progressively shorter, even for procedures as serious as repairing a brain aneurysm or inserting a pacemaker, patients' need for highly skilled nursing care at home is growing. Indeed, every week, thousands of these patients are referred to home health care services.

17 Aug 2010

Researchers pace embryonic heart with laser

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University found that pulsed light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. The work, "Optical pacing of the embryonic heart," will be published in the advanced online issue of Nature Photonics on Aug. 15, 2010.According to the scientists, this non-invasive device may prove an effective tool in understanding how environmental factors that alter an embryo's heart rate lead to congenital defects. It may also lead to investigations of cardiac electrophysiology at the cellular, tissue and organ levels, and possibly the development of a new generation of pacemakers.

16 Aug 2010

Medtronic launches Defeat-HF clinical trial to evaluate SCS for heart failure

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the global launch of the Defeat-HF (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure) clinical trial. It is the industry's first prospective, randomized study evaluating the clinical feasibility of spinal cord stimulation, or neurostimulation, to improve clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure.

30 Jul 2010

St. Jude Medical second-quarter net sales increase 11% to $1.313 billion

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today reported sales and net earnings for the second quarter ended July 3, 2010.

23 Jul 2010

Fatal risk of software defects in implantable medical devices

Software vulnerabilities in life-sustaining medical devices such as pacemakers and infusion pumps pose a growing threat to public health, warns a new report published by the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC).

22 Jul 2010

Gene essential for respiration and survival at birth identified

How do mammals prepare themselves in utero for a radical modification to their respiration at the time of birth, when they move abruptly from an aquatic medium to air? CNRS researchers, working in collaboration with teams from the Universities of the Méditerranée, Paris-Sud 11 and Paul Cézanne have identified a gene in the mouse that is essential to respiration and consequently to survival at birth.

21 Jul 2010

Spectranetics announces product reimbursement approval for SLS II

Spectranetics Corporation today announced that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan has approved product reimbursement to hospitals for the Spectranetics Laser Sheath, which is used for the removal of problematic pacemaker and defibrillator cardiac leads.

20 Jul 2010

Research findings could help save lives from sick sinus syndrome

The pioneering research, using detailed computer models, could help save lives through preventative treatment of those most at risk from a form of heart rhythm disorder called sick sinus syndrome.

From The University of Manchester 7 Jul 2010

Baby with heart condition after surgery ‘chilled’ and cured

Four month old baby Finley Burton was taken for a routine visit to his doctor when two holes were detected in his heart. He subsequently underwent an intricate heart operation to close these holes that were making it difficult for his heart to pump out blood. Right after the operation he developed irregular, erratic heart beats that went over 200 beats per minute. This could have killed him but doctors in Britain found a miracle solution for the problem. They lowered his body temperature.

18 Jun 2010

TYRX successfully implants AIGISRx device in 10,000 patients in the U.S.

TYRX, Inc. announced today that it has successfully implanted its AIGISRx device in 10,000 patients in the United States. The AIGISRx device is an antibacterial mesh technology that securely holds a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator in place to create a stable environment, while delivering antimicrobial agents, rifampin and minocycline. These antimicrobial agents have been shown to reduce infections associated with medical devices in multiple randomized controlled trials.

15 Jun 2010

BIOTRONIK announces commercial availability of new ProMRI Pacing Systems

BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, a leading manufacturer of high-quality implantable cardiac devices and pioneer of wireless remote monitoring technologies, announced today the commercial availability of its new ProMRI Pacing Systems — Evia pacemaker series and Safio pacing leads — providing European patients the first portfolio of bradycardia systems that are compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans under specific conditions.

15 Jun 2010

Researchers look at exercise as new way to slow degenerative processes of ALS

University of Alberta researchers are looking at exercise as a new way to slow the degenerative processes of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Dr. Kelvin Jones, a recipient of this year's ALS Canada Discovery Grant, has been pioneering research in this field for four years, using mice genetically altered to present familial ALS. He's found that exercise has a positive impact on the mice, slowing the disease significantly.

9 Jun 2010

Greatbatch celebrates 50th anniversary of first successful US human cardiac pacemaker implantation

Greatbatch, Inc. is proud to join the medical community in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first successful implantation of the human cardiac pacemaker in the United States. The pacemaker was designed, developed and implanted by Wilson Greatbatch in conjunction with William M. Chardack, M.D. and Andrew A. Gage, M.D.

8 Jun 2010