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Exploring the latest advances in cardiology tech

June 15, 2023

According to a 2022 Global Market Insights report, the cardiovascular devices market is on track to expand at more than 13% CAGR through 2032, due to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disorders worldwide. Highlighting this rapid growth, presenters at the Heart Rhythm Society’s annual meeting in May 2023 showcased several of the latest cardiological medical devices that are helping cardiologists predict, identify, and treat cardiovascular disease:

AI-enabled devices

Cedars-Sinai has developed an AI-enabled tool that scans images for signs and patterns associated with heart disease and plaque accumulation in the arteries. Combined, these images are helping cardiologists better identify a patient’s risk of MI.

Philips has developed an AI-enabled single-lead ambulatory ECG device to help predict life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. In a recent study, Philips’ AI-based learning model predicted V-tach occurrences correctly in 88% of users wearing Holter monitors.

Remote heart monitoring

Abbott’s new-edition CardioMEMS heart failure monitoring system is a paperclip-sized sensor that cardiologists can surgically implant into the pulmonary artery to monitor artery pressure and send notifications of changes that could indicate worsening heart failure. The changes it recognizes are seen before physiological markers change, enabling clinicians to initiate treatments proactively.

Also from Abbott, the Assert-IQ is an insertable cardiac monitor that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Assert-IQ connects via Bluetooth technology, allowing clinicians to monitor heart rhythms in real-time and make more informed and timely treatment decisions.The device has two options for a battery life of three or six years, the longest battery life for an insertable cardiac monitor on the market today (Lokuwithana, 2023).

Cardiac ablation

Boston Scientific’s Farapulse system is a pulsed-field ablation (PFA) system used to treat AFib and atrial tachycardia. Its pulsed-field ablation uses non-thermal electric fields to selectively ablate heart tissue without disturbing any surrounding critical areas. Boston Scientific reports a success rate of 74% from patient recurrence of Afib and atrial tachycardia with the Farapulse system (Kirsh, 2023).

Cardiac defibrillator therapy

Boston Scientific’s EMBLEM MRI S-ICD device is the only implantable subcutaneous defibrillator therapy that protects patients with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias from sudden cardiac death, as well as the risks and complications of transvenous leads. Studies comparing tricuspid regurgitation severity in patients at the six-month mark with the EMBLEM MRI S-ICD versus a transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (TV-ICD) found that 6.9% of patients in the TV-ICD group developed moderate or severe symptoms related to worsening tricuspid regurgitation, while only 2.3% of Boston Scientific’s S-ICD group showed symptoms.

Pacemaker

Abbott’s Aveir DR system is a dual-chamber (DR) i2i leadless pacemaker that delivers impulses directly to the heart muscle to restore the normal heart rhythm. This leadless device goes directly into the heart via a catheter-based procedure, eliminating the need for cardiac leads and an under-the-skin pulse generator. It also enables the two devices to communicate, sense, and pace the appropriate chamber of the heart, unlike pacemakers limited to single-chamber ventricular devices. At the recent HRS meeting, Abbott reported that more than 97% of patients equipped with their device present atrioventricular synchrony, demonstrating the potential positive benefits for those with slower-than-normal heart rhythms.

Future of the cardiology device market

As the cardiology devices market continues to grow, products like the ones above are helping clinicians work more efficiently, thereby lessening the increasing demands of a growing chronically ill patient population. Other companies like Biotronik, Cardinal Health, Biosensors International Group, Medtronic, Cook Medical, and Terumo Medical Corporation are also looking at ways to modify existing equipment and regularly introduce new technologies and devices to help deliver enhanced patient care. In addition, they are studying patients, patient outcomes, and interventions to better understand the benefits and risks of introducing new devices to the market.

The evolution of the global cardiology devices market is also changing and improving how data is recorded, monitored, and leveraged in cardiac care decision making. A study out of France found that using a third-party, universal remote monitoring system led to lower mortality and fewer hospitalizations for patients than conventional monitoring systems or devices with no monitoring (Swain, 2023). Universal systems like this have the capability to collect data from once-disparate devices and manufacturers and use medical algorithms to help triage relevant vs. non-relevant data, ultimately reducing clinician time spent analyzing outcomes. The implementation of solutions like this could also mean greater billing and reimbursement and more practical use of healthcare staff and resources across the board.

References

Kirsh, D. (2023, May 25). The top cardiac care innovation news at Heart Rhythm 2023. Mass Device. https://www.massdevice.com/cardiac-care-innovation-heart-rhythm-society-meeting/.

Lokuwithana, D. (2023, May 18). Abbott stock wins FDA nod for insertable cardiac monitor Assert-IQ. Seeking Alpha. https://seekingalpha.com/news/3973034-abbott-stock-wins-fda-nod-cardiac-monitor-assert-iq,

Medical Device Network. (2023, May 18). Rapid AI adoption in the field of cardiology. https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/comment/ai-adoption-cardiology/.

Swain, E. (2023, May 25). Remote monitoring of implanted devices with universal platform improves outcomes. Healio. https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20230525/remote-monitoring-of-implanted-devices-with-a-universal-platform-improves-outcomes.

Taylor, N.P. (2023, May 26). Abbott’s remote heart failure monitoring system reduces hospitalizations in clinical trial. MedTechDive. https://www.medtechdive.com/news/abbotts-cardiomems-heart-failure-monitoring-trial-ABT/651399/.

Whooley, S. (2023a, May 20). Data backs Abbott Aveir dual-chamber leadless pacemaker. Mass Device. https://www.massdevice.com/data-abbott-aveir-dual-chamber-leadless-pacemaker/.

Whooley, S. (2023b, May 22). Phillips study shows AI can help predict ventricular tachycardia. Mass Device. https://www.massdevice.com/philips-study-ai-predict-ventricular-tachycardia/.