Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. on Wednesday launched a new heart monitor capable of detecting abnormal heart rhythms that can cause stroke and death.
The company's Reveal XT is implanted just under the skin of the chest, where it monitors the patient's heart beat. The data collected is then transmitted to an online database, where physicians can study patients' heart signals and potentially spot problems before they occur.
Medtronic, the world's largest medical device firm, already markets a similar remote-monitoring heart device. However, the Reveal XT is the company's first monitor designed to detect atrial fibrillation, which causes the upper chambers of the heart to contract irregularly, interfering with circulation and increasing the risk of deadly blood clots.
About 2.2 million adults in the U.S. have the condition, which accounts for about 15 percent of strokes, according to the American Heart Association. Medtronic and rivals Johnson & Johnson and St. Jude are all developing products to help treat the ailment.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Reveal XT in November.
Shares of Minneapolis-based Medtronic rose 31 cents to $32.46 in morning trading.
via yahoo
The company's Reveal XT is implanted just under the skin of the chest, where it monitors the patient's heart beat. The data collected is then transmitted to an online database, where physicians can study patients' heart signals and potentially spot problems before they occur.
Medtronic, the world's largest medical device firm, already markets a similar remote-monitoring heart device. However, the Reveal XT is the company's first monitor designed to detect atrial fibrillation, which causes the upper chambers of the heart to contract irregularly, interfering with circulation and increasing the risk of deadly blood clots.
About 2.2 million adults in the U.S. have the condition, which accounts for about 15 percent of strokes, according to the American Heart Association. Medtronic and rivals Johnson & Johnson and St. Jude are all developing products to help treat the ailment.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Reveal XT in November.
Shares of Minneapolis-based Medtronic rose 31 cents to $32.46 in morning trading.
via yahoo
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