According to the company, the implantable monitor enables physicians to evaluate heart rhythm signals over a longer period of time than allowed by standard monitoring tests, and is designed to help them diagnose and document difficult-to-detect rhythm disorders in patients who may suffer from unexplained symptoms, including syncope (the sudden and transient loss of consciousness), palpitations and shortness of breath.
About the size of a computer thumb drive, the SJM Confirm ICM is reported to be the smallest implantable cardiac monitor available. It is implanted just under the skin (subcutaneously) in the upper chest region and can be implanted in an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. Patients are able to remotely send data to their physicians when they experience symptoms. This real-time data helps physicians diagnose and treat the arrhythmias.
Eric Fain, president of the St. Jude Medical cardiac rhythm management division, said: “The SJM Confirm ICM was developed in response to physicians’ need for more information about heart rhythm abnormalities, particularly in patients who are most challenging to diagnose.
“This implantable monitor enables patients to record data that coincide with their symptoms and then send that data to their physicians remotely for diagnosis and determination of the best course of treatment for their arrhythmias.”