Abbott smartens up its smartphone-based ICM with more accurate detection

Abbott has launched a new, smarter version of its small implantable monitor for detecting irregular heartbeats that the company says now reduces the rate of false detection by 97%.

About the size of a paperclip, the Confirm Rx insertable cardiac monitor connects directly to a smartphone app via Bluetooth, to offer continuous remote detection of arrhythmias without the need for additional transmitter hardware.

The loop recording device, which has been cleared by the FDA and received a CE mark, is placed just under the skin above the heart during an outpatient procedure. Additionally, Abbott’s mobile app is available in nearly 40 languages.

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Abbott first picked up the Confirm Rx monitor and its smartphone app through its $25 billion acquisition of St. Jude Medical in January 2017. The device made its international commercial debuts later that year, including in Europe and the U.S.

The tracker is aimed at the estimated 33 million people living with the most common irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation, with many going undiagnosed.

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It’s also designed for people with active lifestyles, and offers 24/7 monitoring compared to devices that need to be removed and placed in a charging station, which can lead to gaps in the detection of sporadic and infrequent arrhythmias.