Medtronic’s wearable vest brings noninvasive twist to cardiac mapping

For patients with heart rhythm disorders, such as atrial fibrillation, cardiac ablations can eliminate the problem at the source. These common procedures use heat or cold to destroy the cells generating irregular heartbeats. But the trick is identifying aberrant cells.

Now, Medtronic has introduced the CardioInsight, a high-tech vest that, when combined with CT imagery, provides detailed 3-D maps to locate problematic heart cells. The device received 510(k) approval from the Food and Drug Administration last week. Cardiac mapping has been around for a while, but Medtronic’s technology makes it noninvasive. Lire la suite