Integrated Sensing Systems (ISSYS), in collaboration with Dr Martin Bocks and his team of researchers at the University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, has developed a wireless, batter-free cardiac implant, and has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to complete the testing of the cardiac implant.
The $1.5M grant will help the researchers to achieve the final preclinical testing required for gaining approval from the FDA’s Humanitarian Device Exemption pathway. Dr Martin Bocks, the principal researcher, a pediatric cardiologist at the U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, expressed excitement by stating that the research team is looking forward to developing an implantable pressure sensor in collaboration with ISSYS to help patients suffering from congenital heart disease. Dr Bocks also expressed gratitude and appreciation towards NIH and NHLBI (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) for funding the research.
The research team has been developing the cardiac implant for use in children and infants for a period of three years. The grant will help in testing the effectiveness of the device in reducing the need of cardiac catheterization procedures and help in providing the researchers with a better understanding of the disease.
The miniature device is a wireless pressure sensor that can be implanted within the patient’s heart chamber. Once the procedure is complete, the pressure within the heart can be monitored without invasive heart catheterization and the patient can visit the doctor in the outpatient clinic. The device which will remain permanently within the heart chambers will be initially used in patients suffering from single ventricle conditions.
The cardiac implant is likely to be available in 2013.
Source: http://med.umich.edu/