We were drawn to this article on MassDevice, not least because we’ve experience of the current state-of-play and reckon this is a significant advance.
The ZioPatch, from US company ZioTM is a very simple, adhesive-backed monitoring pack which adhere’s to the patient’s chest and monitors heart rhythm for up to 14 days, storing all its data for downloading on return to the manufacturer, from whence the results are issued to the treating physician. The beauty is at least twofold, not least the lack of requirement to have mutliple electrodes attached all over the upper torso, but also the fact that it can be used for up to 14 days, giving it much more chance of encountering irregularities such as arrhythmias, which themselves have a habit of occurring relatively infrequently. One final point is that while it is single use, the device is 100% recyclable on return to the company.
What’s not at all clear, dear international reader, is whether it’s CE marked and available in Europe. We’ve trawled the websites of Zio (the manufacturer) and St Jude Medical, their commercial partner, and we can’t find any information pertaining to its availability outside the USA.
Watch this space however, because we’ll find out.
Source: medlatest staff, irhythmtech.com, massdevice
published: October 6, 2011 in: Cardio, Regulatory, St Jude, Technology