May 11, 2010 – A wireless USB adaptor allows patients with implantable cardiac devices to stay connected with physicians without the need for a standard landline phone connection. Today St. Jude Medical launched its Wireless USB Adaptor for the Merlin@home electrophysiology (EP) device transmitter.
The system allows important patient data from an implantable cardiac device to be wirelessly downloaded and securely transmitted via telephone for review by a physician. The new Wireless USB Adaptor enables patients using a Merlin@home transmitter to transmit data to their physician over cellular networks, allowing for more convenient care than existing landline services provide.
“For patients who either prefer to use cellular technology or do not have access to a standard phone line, this product provides an alternative solution for secure data transmission,” said David Sandler, M.D., director of electrophysiology at the Oklahoma Heart Institute in Tulsa, Okla. “The Wireless USB Adaptor offers a reliable, portable remote monitoring option for patients who frequently travel.”
The adaptor is a small device that plugs into new and existing Merlin@home transmitters. The transmitter typically sits on a patient’s bedside table and wirelessly communicates with the patient’s device while they are asleep. The data are sent via the Merlin@home transmitter to the Merlin.net Patient Care Network (PCN), an Internet-based repository of patient and device data. Once transmitted, the Merlin.net PCN organizes the data for fast analysis and easy review, and allows information to be sent directly to a clinic’s or hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) system for inclusion in the patient’s comprehensive EHR.
The remote monitoring capabilities facilitated by the Merlin@home transmitter permit automated follow-up appointments and daily device checks to occur wirelessly, with limited patient action required. This reduces unnecessary visits to the physician’s office, while allowing physicians to more quickly become aware of changes with the patient’s condition or device.
The transmitter supports all radio-frequency (RF) St. Jude Medical implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds), and the Accent RF pacemaker and Anthem RF CRT-P (cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker). The Accent RF pacemaker and Anthem CRT-P are the first and only pacemakers that provide complete remote and in-clinic follow-ups via wireless communication.
For more information: sjm.com
May 03, 2023 
