Approximately 2 million Europeans have implanted pacemakers, but these patients are strongly discouraged from receiving MRI scans, a widely practiced diagnostic method for many common diseases and conditions, because their device could interact with MRI machines, potentially affecting the device or patient safety. According to estimates, 50-75 percent of patients worldwide with implanted cardiac devices are expected to need an MRI scan during the lifetime of their devices.

“Half of the world’s pacemakers that are implanted are from Medtronic, and the number one unmet need is MRI compatibility,” said Pat Mackin, president of the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business and senior vice president at Medtronic. “Previously, physicians had been forced to forego the benefits of MRI, or accept the significant risk associated with scanning device patients. Medtronic is pleased to give physicians a solution to this unmet need – in fact a choice of devices for their pacemaker patients who may need access to important diagnostics available through MRI.”

The Advisa MRI SureScan pacing system is the most advanced pacing system from Medtronic and combines for the first time MRI SureScan with key features from Medtronic pacemakers and defibrillator systems: exclusives such as MVP (Managed Ventricular Pacing), OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring, and Ventricular and Atrial Capture Management (VCM and ACM). MVP reduces right ventricular pacing by 99 percent2. In SAVE PACe, a previous trial of pacemaker patients published was proven to dramatically reduce unnecessary right ventricular pacing. This reduction was shown to reduce the development of persistent atrial fibrillation. Further, the 2008 ACC/AHA/HRS Device-Based Therapy Guidelines indicate there may be deleterious effects from even modest levels of ventricular pacing associated with alternative programming modes.

VCM and ACM are intended to automatically adjust impulses for optimal stimulation of the heart’s chambers. The device also offers enhanced diagnostics to help assist physicians in the diagnosis of irregular heart rhythms, particularly atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) / AF. Additionally, upon commercial release, the Advisa MRI SureScan pacing system will be available for remote follow-up via the Medtronic CareLink Network.