US-based medical device company Medtronic has secured approval for its Attain Performa Model 4298 quadripolar lead and Viva Quad XT and Viva Quad S cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
From mid-September 2014, the quadripolar lead and devices will be available to physicians in the country, noted Medtronic.
The Attain Performa Model 4298 left-heart lead features 16 pacing configurations and shorter spacing between the two center electrodes.
The new quadripolar lead offers additional options for physicians to treat different patient anatomies.
It decreases the incidence of phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS), a potential side effect that results in muscle twitching, hiccups or shortness of breath.
The canted shape and steroid on all four electrodes of the Model 4298 will reduce pacing thresholds.
The Viva Quad XT device that has been equipped with AdaptivCRT feature helps in preserving normal heart rhythms and automatically adjusts to patients needs to customize therapy.
In addition, the system comprises VectorExpress(TM) technology, which decreases lead programming time to two minutes by providing physicians with clinically actionable information to help them select optimal pacing configurations for each patient.
Medtronic Heart Failure vice president and general manager and Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure Management business medical director David Steinhaus said the company continues to advance the care of heart failure patients, as it is the first commercialized cardiac resynchronization therapy in the US.
"With the previously available AdaptivCRT algorithm, and now the new Attain Performa canted lead and Viva Quad devices, Medtronic is delivering a top-notch system for patients with heart failure," Steinhaus added.