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May 18, 2023
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FDA clears insertable cardiac monitor with long battery life

Fact checked byRichard Smith
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Abbott announced the FDA cleared its insertable cardiac monitor for diagnosis and evaluation of irregular heartbeats.

The monitor (Assert-IQ) is equipped with batteries that can last at least 3 years or at least 6 years, depending on the diagnostic monitoring strategy chosen, according to a press release issued by the company.

Generic FDA News infographic

For both battery-life options, the device has an algorithm that detects arrhythmias and provides clinically actionable data, according to the release.

Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy

“The Assert-IQ [insertable cardiac monitor] is a significant advancement amongst the tools that are currently available for the diagnoses of irregular heart rhythms. Given that the device is small and is inserted just under the skin, patients can go about their daily lives, enjoying the activities they love, and the [insertable cardiac monitor] does the work,” Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD, medical director of the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute, said in the release. “With Assert-IQ [insertable cardiac monitor’s] advanced algorithms,it can detect even hard-to-spot irregularities and help physicians determine a treatment course. It can be a very valuable tool both for short-term and long-term management of cardiac arrhythmia disorders.”

Using Bluetooth technology, the device connects to a transmitter, usually the patient’s cellphone, checks heart rhythms every 20 seconds, and transmits data to the clinic’s portal, and some models allow the clinician to program the device remotely to adjust settings or reduce the number of alerts or transmittals, according to the release.