Biotronik launches Itrevia MRI-safe quad CRT-D in Japan

Biotronik said last week that it launched its Itrevia MRI-safe quad cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator in Japan, part of a Japanese rollout of new devices for 2015.

The device is equipped with home monitoring connectivity, as well as compatibility with up to 1.5 tesla MRI machines, the German medical device giant said.

“As a producer of superior medical technologies, it is imperative for us to have a presence in the world’s leading technologies market. It also makes sense that the world’s biggest producer of ProMRI technology should have a strong presence in the country where MRI scanning is the most common. Our commitment to producing products that assist both physicians’ and patients’ needs has resonated with the Japanese market, as has our unwavering sense of responsibility when it comes to helping patients live normal lives,” Biotronik Japan managing director Jeffrey Annis said in a press release.

The CRT-D device will allow full MRI scans, something Biotronik said is advisable given the rate of co-morbidities in patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices.

“Patients implanted with CIEDs can have a variety of underlying diseases such as sick sinus syndrome, complete AV block, atrial fibrillation with bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmias and/or chronic heart failure. So, it is important that the implanted device is compatible with MRI scans as the risk of stroke is always present,” Dr. Kenji Ando of the Kokura Memorial Hospital said in prepared remarks.

Biotronik said that Japan is the world’s largest MRI market with 47 MRI scanners per 1 million people, more than any other country.

In May, Biotronik launched its CardioMessenger Smart 3G and Iforia 7 DR-T and VR-T DF4MRI-safe implantable cardiac defibrillators in Japan. The devices are designed to communicate to allow physicians to manage data from patients’ implantable devices, transmitted via the company’s home monitoring system.

Source: Biotronik