The battery will last up to 3 years on this device. The device is set up to measure atrial arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms in the upper chambers) 
and monitor patients for suspected suspected arrhythmias. It requires a small outpatient procedure. The Patient assistant device is waived over the device in case of fainting or to record heartbeats at any time.
Patients wearing the devices have been able to have their conditions detected, one for example needed a pacemaker, while another needed medication. Some hearts have been beating too slow, some too fast, at any rate capturing the data at the time of the fainting spell is enabling physicians to diagnose and get to the real cause of the fainting spells.
The device can be the answer if worn and information is sent to the Patient Assistant upon a syncope or fainting spell. This could certainly be a lot more convenient than wearing a device on the outside of your body it appears. BD
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced the commercial availability of its Reveal XT™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) in the United States, along with the nation's first implant of the new device. The procedure was conducted by Blair Grubb, M.D., professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Toledo Medical Center, a renowned heart specialist. The Reveal XT device joins the Reveal® DX ICM as the industry's first insertable cardiac monitors that offer comprehensive remote monitoring capabilities, via the Medtronic CareLink® Network, and which allow physicians to confirm or rule out an
abnormal heart rhythm.
“How does an insertable cardiac monitor work?
Once the cardiac monitor is implanted in your upper chest area, it is programmed to continuously monitor your heart’s activity. When a fainting spell occurs, you or your family member should immediately place a small hand-held activator over the cardiac monitor and press a button.
This triggers the device to record the heart’s rhythms before, during, and after the unexplained fainting spell. If your fainting spell is heart-related, your doctor may recommend treatment based on the exact cause.”
First Use Of New Subcutaneous Heart Monitor
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One of the most important parts of the heart is the pacemaker. When the natural (or original) pacemaker starts functioning with a lesser efficiency compared to the recommended one, the use of artificial pacemakers is suggested. Surgery is needed to implant an artificial pacemaker inside the body.
ReplyDeleteThe artificial pacemaker (or simply ‘pacemaker’) is a device which functions on electrical impulses which are delivered by electrodes in contact with the heart muscles, thus helping in the regulation of the heart’s beating.
So, the most important function of the pacemaker is maintaining the heart rate within specified safe limits. This is required when the natural pacemaker is not functioning with sufficient speed. It may also be needed in case there is some kind of a block (obstruction) in the electrical conducting system of the patient’s heart.
Artificial pacemakers come in the following types --- Rate-responsive pacemaker, Single chamber pacemaker and Dual (or double) chamber pacemaker.
Some pacemakers are implantable. These are required for permanent pacing of the heart. Surgical operation is carried out for doing this and pacing electrodes are placed in the heart’s chambers. This type of pacemaker has in-built electronic circuitry, which detects the change in the pace of heart and adjusts it automatically to bring it within the recommended limit. This function is done by an important part of the pacemaker called as the pacemaker generator.
For getting best results from the artificial pacemaker, it is suggested that the battery of the pacemaker be replaced at regular intervals of time. It is extremely important to check the pacemaker regularly from a practicing physician.
The use of a pacemaker has helped a lot of people so far. The best part of it is that it does change the person’s lifestyle to much of an extent. Only the use of devices or gadgets generating magnetic fields is not allowed.