Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) launched the first healthcare mobile app to work with its implanted cardiac medical devices and has plans to spread beyond Apple products into other mobile platforms.
The Minnesota med-tech giant usually focuses on new, innovative medical devices, but it new app lets physicians who are authorized to use the company’s remote monitoring CareLink Network to monitor patients with implantable cardiac devices get the same information on their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The app downloads for free.
Medtronic is scouting other mobile platforms such as BlackBerry and Android-powered devices, a Medtronic spokeswoman said. The company has four apps in the Apple iTunes store so far.
The Fridley, Minn.-based company is also embracing Apple internally. As well as having a team dedicated to app development, the company launched a Medtronic App store for its own employees a few months ago, and roughly 5,000 iPads are in use at Medtronic.