Defibrillator News and Research

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

First Edition: November 5, 2009

Today's headlines center on the House health overhaul vote scheduled for Saturday -- what some are calling a potentially 'historic moment' for Democrats.

5 Nov 2009

Innovative optical system to study the complex mechanisms that lead to sudden cardiac arrest developed

A research team at Vanderbilt University has developed an innovative optical system to simultaneously image electrical activity and metabolic properties in the same region of a heart, to study the complex mechanisms that lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

31 Oct 2009

Spectranetics announces financial results for third quarter 2009

Spectranetics Corporation today reported financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

28 Oct 2009

Patient receives left-ventricular assist device to improve heart function

UT Southwestern Medical Center patient Michael LeBlanc, 40, is the first in North Texas to receive the newest generation of a mechanical device designed to improve heart function. It will be his lifeline while he awaits a heart transplant.

27 Oct 2009

Video capsule endoscopy is safe for patients with heart devices

A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that video capsule endoscopy (CE), a procedure that uses wireless technology in diagnosing intestinal disease, is safe for patients with heart devices. Wireless electrical gadgets, such as cell phones, have been shown to interfere with implanted heart devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators. This risk has led medical experts to speculate that capsule endoscopy could similarly cause heart devices to fail.

27 Oct 2009

Genetic mutations cause for SIDS and SUDS

Scientists and clinicians at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cardiogenetics have teamed up and found that genetic mutations leading to Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) could be causing electrical malfunctioning of the heart resulting in the mysterious deaths more commonly known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (SUDS) in people older than 12 months of age.

27 Oct 2009

Aldosterone antagonist therapy can be adopted for treating heart failure

Less than one-third of patients hospitalized for heart failure and participating in a quality improvement registry received a guideline-recommended treatment of heart failure, aldosterone antagonist therapy, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

St. Jude Medical announces fiscal 2009 third-quarter results

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the third quarter ended October 3, 2009.

21 Oct 2009

Statewide Initiative to increase sudden cardiac arrest survival rates launched in Minnesota

Medtronic Foundation and Take Heart Minnesota™ today announced a comprehensive statewide initiative, the first in the nation, designed to increase sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates. SCA is a condition in which the heart abruptly stops without warning. More than 4,500 cases of SCA were reported in Minnesota in 2008, an average of 12.5 incidences per day.

21 Oct 2009

St. Jude Medical's quadripolar pacing system receives European CE Mark approval

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced it has received European CE Mark approval for the industry’s first quadripolar pacing system for cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The quadripolar system offers physicians the ability to more effectively and efficiently manage the ever-changing pacing needs of patients with heart failure.

21 Oct 2009

Cardiac Science and OMRON Healthcare sign distribution agreement

Cardiac Science Corporation (Nasdaq: CSCX), a global leader in automated external defibrillator (AED) and diagnostic cardiac monitoring devices, entered into an exclusive agreement with OMRON Healthcare distribute Omron's vital signs and spot check monitors under the Cardiac Science brand in the United States and Canada.

20 Oct 2009

Three deaths in Detroit Marathon highlight the importance of greater public awareness about SDC

The tragic deaths of three runners in Sunday's Detroit Marathon underscore how frequently and indiscriminately sudden cardiac arrest strikes Americans, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association said today.

20 Oct 2009

MDEA program is accepting entries for its 2010 competition

The Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) program is accepting entries for its 2010 competition from companies and individuals worldwide involved in the design, engineering, manufacture, or distribution of finished medical devices or packaging products.

15 Oct 2009

Gene variations increase the risk of sudden cardiac death

A multi-national research team has discovered that two genetic factors converge to increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.

14 Oct 2009

SCAA to host Survivor Celebration event to mark SCA Awareness Month

A nationwide gathering of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors will mark SCA Awareness Month with a Survivor Celebration on Friday, October 9th at 7 p.m. in Chicago. This survivor event, hosted by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue in Rosemont, is part of three-day program that will make up the organization’s annual meeting.

9 Oct 2009

Boston Scientific begins patient enrollments for MADIT-RIT clinical trial

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced its exclusive sponsorship and first enrollments of the MADIT-RIT clinical trial. This new trial follows in the tradition of three previous landmark trials: MADIT, MADIT II and MADIT-CRT, each exclusively sponsored by Boston Scientific and conducted under the leadership of Principal Investigator Arthur J. Moss, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester.

6 Oct 2009

70% of Americans underestimate the seriousness of SCA

More than 250,000 deaths occur each year as a result of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In fact, SCA claims one life every two minutes, taking more lives each year than breast cancer, lung cancer or AIDS. Yet, according to a recent survey issued by the Heart Rhythm Society, more than 70 percent of Americans not only underestimate the seriousness of SCA, but also believe SCA is a type of heart attack.

3 Oct 2009

ZOLL Medical wins U.S. Defense defibrillator contract

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a follow-on contract for Airworthy CCT defibrillators by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. If fully exercised, the potential revenue from the contract could approximate $30 million. The services that can order units against this contract are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.

1 Oct 2009

St. Jude Medical launches new cardiac rhythm management devices

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced it has launched several new cardiac rhythm management devices for the treatment and diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms.

30 Sep 2009

Spectranetics seeks FDA clearance for treating in-stent restenosis in the legs

Spectranetics Corporation today announced that it has filed a 510(k) application with the Food and Drug Administration seeking clearance for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) in the legs with its commercially available peripheral atherectomy products. ISR is caused by the re-growth of tissue within the stent, known as neointimal hyperplasia, which can lead to blockages in the affected leg artery.

29 Sep 2009