ZOLL Medical Corp. (NSDQ:ZOLL) and Vicor Corp. (NSDQ:VICR) have teamed up to provide patient monitoring systems that can predict imminent heart attacks and warn patients and caregivers in real time.
Vicor’s PD2i analyzer uses a nonlinear algorithm to examine a heartbeat for patterns that reveal risky brain-heart interaction that could put a patient at risk of death.
"Given the PD2i(R)’s ability to detect a patient’s risk of tachyarrhythmia in time for a warning to be issued to the patient and/or caregiver, we are pleased to be able to utilize this technology in our resuscitation devices, many of which are not only therapeutic but also used to monitor patients prior to an acute event," Zoll president Jonathan Rennert said in prepared remarks.
The algorithm can also assess risk of arrhythmia or congestive heart failure in patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, imminent death absent lifesaving intervention in trauma victims and mortality risk stratification in ICU patients, according to the release.
"Conventional diagnostics, which only evaluate the heart, are of limited use in predicting cardiac death," Boca Raton, Fla.-based Vicor’s company website states. "Further, current guidelines for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are inadequate and lead to implantations in many people who don’t need them."
The PD2i system touts sensitivity approaching 100 percent and specificity of 86 percent, and requires less than 20 minutes worth of heartbeat listening to make an assessment.
The terms of the distribution agreement were not disclosed.
