St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ) has received Japanese regulatory approval to begin selling a defibrillator that continually monitors electrical changes in a patient’s heart.
St. Jude’s AnalyST implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) could help inform physicians more quickly of changes to the heart’s electrical system that can indicate conditions such as reduced blood flow, according to a statement from St. Jude.
The AnalyST has not been cleared for sales in the U.S.
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An ICD is an electronic device that delivers jolts to correct an abnormal heart rhythm. The AnalyST derives its name from the term “ST segment,” which refers to electrical changes in the heart.
The device’s monitoring feature allows for electrical changes to be continuously recorded and plotted, and then retrieved for the physician to review during patient follow-up visits. Continuous monitoring is important since it gives physicians more comprehensive electrical-change information over time rather than a sporadic diagnostic report, according to the statement.
The surface electrocardiogram (ECG) has been the industry standard for diagnosing the risk for heart tissue damage and arrhythmia. However, surface ECGs have limitations in that they provide only a few seconds of information at a time and cannot be used to continuously monitor the patient over a long period, according to St. Jude.