A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices

Category Archives: AIMD Companies

St. Jude Medical Receives CE Mark Approval of Eon Mini to Treat Chronic Migraine

Posted on by Posted in Migraine, Neural Stimulation, Occipital Nerve Stimulation, St. Jude Medical

St Jude Medical Eon and Eon Mini Spinal Cord StimulatorsSt. Jude Medical announced it has received European CE Mark approval of its Eon™ family of neurostimulators for treating patients with intractable chronic migraine.

According to the press release:

“Intractable chronic migraine is one of the most difficult-to-treat headache disorders,” said Professor Gennaro Bussone, M.D., head of the Neurological Department at Istituto Besta in Milan Italy. “By definition, people living with this condition are spending half their month living with debilitating headaches. This therapy expands our options in helping manage patients who suffer with disabling chronic migraine symptoms.”

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Boston Scientific Receives FDA Approval of S-ICD® for Patients at Risk of SCA

Posted on by Posted in Boston Scientific, Cameron Health, Cardioversion/Defibrillation, Tachycardia

 

Cameron Health S-ICD subcutaneous defibrillator

Image Credit: Boston Scientific

On Sept. 28, 2012 Boston Scientific announced that the FDA granted regulatory approval for its S-ICD® System, the world’s first and only commercially available subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) for the treatment of patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The S-ICD System sits entirely just below the skin without the need for leads to be placed into the heart.

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Human Implants of Vestibular Prostheses at the Maastricht University Medical Center

Posted on by Posted in Cochlear Ltd., Cochlear Stimulation, Med-El, Meniere's Disease, Vertigo, Vestibular Stimulation

Vestibular Prosthesis implanted at the Maastricht University Medical Center www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi Ph.D.

Physicians at the Maastricht University Medical Center implanted two patients with vestibular prostheses.  These implants are similar to a cochlear implant, but instead of sound, conveys orientation and acceleration information to the vestibular organ that assists in preserving balance.

According to lead implanter Prof. Robert Stokroos, preliminary assessment is promising, and research will be conducted to determine if the brain can integrate the information from these implants to restore balance to the patients.

There have been a number of prior human implants of different vestibular devices.   For example, in 2010 Jean-Philippe Guyot implanted a vestibular nerve stimulation device in a human subject. Their work was published in March 2011. The device was a modified Med-El cochlear implant using an electrode that was implanted near the left posterior ampullary nerve. In addition, Washington University implanted a device based on a similar approach (a modified Nucleus device by Cochlear Ltd.) on Oct. 21, 2010.  It must be noted however that these prior devices do not sense head motion, but were designed to override abnormal vestibular signals.  On the other hand, from the sketchy details that have appeared, it seems that the devices implanted in Maastricht are the first true vestibular prostheses capable of responding to orientation and acceleration.

 

Nevro Receives FDA Approval to Initiate Trial of its High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy

Posted on by Posted in Nerve Blocking, Neural Stimulation, Nevro, Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation
Nevro Senza Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulator for Back and Leg Pain

Image Source: Nevro's Website

Nevro Corp announced that FDA has granted approval for initiation of its SENZA-RCT study, a U.S. prospective, randomized, controlled pivotal clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Nevro’s high-frequency spinal cord stimulation system for the treatment of chronic pain.

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FDA Approves St. Jude’s Assura™ ICDs That Reduce Inappropriate Shocks

Posted on by Posted in Cardioversion/Defibrillation, Heart Failure (CHF), St. Jude Medical, Tachycardia
St Jude Medical's Assura series of implantable defibrillators and CRT-Ds www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi, Ph.D.

Image Credit: St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical today announced FDA approval of its Assura™ portfolio of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds).The new implantable defibrillators feature SecureSense™ RV Lead Noise Discrimination, an algorithm that expands the St. Jude Medical ShockGuard® Technology and offers advanced sensing options designed to reduce the incidence of inappropriate shocks for patients with these devices.

According to St. Jude’s announcement:

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EnteroMedics Reports $123k Revenue from Sales of its Maestro RC IPG for Treatment of Obesity

Posted on by Posted in AIMD Business, EnteroMedics, Obesity, Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Today EnteroMedics recorded revenue for the first time since it was incorporated nearly eight years ago. The company reported revenue of about $123,000 in the first quarter of the year from the sale of its Maestro RC implantable vagus nerve stimulation system for treating obesity. Revenue was generated through sales by its distribution partner in Australia.

This is an important step for an implantable device company that faced very tough times in 2009 after its US clinical trial failed to meet a critical effectiveness goal.  EnteroMedics is currently conducting a pivotal trial that is expected to end in Q4 2012. EnteroMedics expects to file a premarket approval application with the FDA in the first half of 2013 if the data from the trial is positive.

 

 

St. Jude’s Reports Q1 2012 AIMD Sales Results: CRM down 4%, Neuromodulation up 12%

Posted on by Posted in AIMD Business, St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical today reported sales and net earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Total CRM sales, which include ICD and pacemaker products, were $735 million for the first quarter of 2012, a 4 percent decrease compared with the first quarter of 2011.  Of that total, ICD product sales were $450 million in the first quarter, a 3 percent decrease compared with the first quarter of 2011. First quarter pacemaker sales were $285 million, a decrease of 4 percent from the comparable quarter of 2011.

St. Jude Medical sales of neuromodulation products were $103 million in the first quarter of 2012, up 12 percent from the comparable quarter of 2011.

St. Jude Starts Trial of Accent MRI Pacemaker and Tendril MRI Lead

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, MRI-safe, St. Jude Medical
St Jude's ACCENT MRI MRI-compatible pacemaker. Report by David Prutchi PhD

Image Credit: St. Jude Medical

Today St. Jude announced the first implant in its Accent MRI(R) Pacemaker and Tendril MRI(R) Lead IDE Study (MRI Study). The ultimate goal of the study is to determine if patients with these devices can safely undergo full-body, high resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to better accommodate their medical needs. The investigational Accent MRI Pacemaker system from St. Jude Medical offers an advanced pacing platform that provides wireless telemetry and algorithms to help address individual patient conditions.

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Digikon’s History

Posted on by Posted in Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, Digikon, History, Museum

Digikon model LD451 Ventricular Inhibited Pulse GeneratorIn response to my post “A Challenge to History Buffs:  Who Was Digikon?“, Paolo Pagani sent me the following message:

“Digikon was in the years 1977-1985 the brand name product in Italy by Biotec Biomedical Technologies of Bologna – ITALY.

Pacemakers were a Digikon O.E.M. production for the trading company of Milan Italy KONTRON already a distributor in Italy of Medtronic.

Biotec developed the first pacemaker VVIR based on physiological changes in thoracic impedance due to respiration. (Biotec RDP-3)

Biotec-Bologna was acquired by Medtronic in August 1985.”

Thank you Paolo!

 

St. Jude Seeks Retraction of Heart Rhythm Journal Manuscript by Dr. Robert Hauser Regarding the Failure of Riata and Riata ST Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Leads

Posted on by Posted in Cardioversion/Defibrillation, St. Jude Medical

St Jude Medical Riata LeadsSt. Jude announced it is seeking a retraction of the manuscript accepted for publication in the Heart Rhythm Journal by Dr. Robert Hauser, et al., titled, “Deaths Caused by the Failure of Riata and Riata ST Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Leads.” St. Jude claims that the research performed by Hauser undercounted and excluded MAUDE data reports for Medtronic product resulting in substantial factual errors.

According to the press release: Continue reading→

St. Jude Warns Physicians of Potential Problem with QuickSite and QuickFlex LV CRT Leads

Posted on by Posted in Cardiac Pacing, Heart Failure (CHF), St. Jude Medical
St Jude QuickFlex lead

Image Credit: St. Jude Medical

St. Jude announced it is proactively informing physicians about visual observations of externalized conductors on the silicone end of QuickSite® and QuickFlex® Left-Ventricular Leads, used to connect Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy devices to the heart.

The announcement noted that there have been no reports of patient injury or loss of therapy due to externalized conductors in these leads, but as a conservative measure, St. Jude Medical is communicating with physicians about the incidence rate so they have the most updated lead performance information with which to make important patient care decisions.

According to the announcement, “St. Jude Medical has confirmed 39 cases of externalized conductors, out of 171,000 QuickSite and QuickFlex leads sold worldwide, resulting in a current reported incidence rate of 0.023 percent, or 2.3 in 10,000. Because these leads continue to function normally, the company expects that this rate is under-reported. Based on an analysis of leads returned to the company and recent fluoroscopic images of implanted leads still in clinical use, St. Jude Medical estimates that 3 to 4 percent of QuickSite and QuickFlex leads may exhibit externalized conductors. As a result of this estimated rate, the company felt it was prudent to communicate with physicians about the externalized conductors at this time.”

St. Jude also announced they will no longer sell these lead models.

St. Jude Medical Announces Clinical Benefits of Quadripolar CRT Pacing at ACC

Posted on by Posted in Cardiac Pacing, Heart Failure (CHF), St. Jude Medical
Quadrapolar cardiac resynchronization pacing St Jude Medical Unify Quadra www.implantable-device.com

Image Credit: St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical announced that clinical findings on quadripolar pacing will be presented at the 61st Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC, Chicago, March 24-27 2012).

According to St. Jude’s announcement, quadripolar pacing allows physicians the ability to use multisite left-ventricular (LV) pacing.  Studies that examined the role of multisite pacing in improving hemodynamics and reducing dyssynchrony as compared to traditional bi-ventricular pacing will be presented in the following two posters:

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