St Jude gets US nod for software upgrade for ICD remote monitor
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The US FDA has given St Jude Medical the all-clear to sell a new version of its remote monitoring system for patients implanted with certain of its implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The Housecall Plus 2.1 software upgrade enables medical professionals to create electronic PDF files of a patient's device interrogation results and either transmit them electronically or post them on a secure web site for further review by physicians. Remote monitoring simplifies follow-up visits for patients and can reduce costs associated with unnecessary office and emergency room visits. With the number of ICD patients expected to expand significantly over the next few years, physicians face an enormous challenge in managing regular follow-up visits for those patients, said the St Paul, Minnesota firm.