Implanted System Treating High Blood Pressure And Heart Failure

Zarlink Semiconductor announced that its MICS (Medical Implant Communications Service) wireless radio technology is designed into the world's first implanted medical device used to treat both hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart failure. Developed by Minneapolis-based CVRx, the device triggers the body's natural physiological responses to regulate a patient's blood pressure and cardiovascular function. Almost 80 million adults in the United States are affected by blood pressure and heart failure conditions.

"CVRx's Rheos System is a unique therapy that highlights the increasing demand for our ultra low-power radio solutions for implanted wireless medical devices," says Steve Swift, senior vice president and GM of Zarlink's Medical Products group. "We are the industry's only provider of standards-compliant radio chips for the healthcare market, and are actively working with leading companies such as CVRx that are developing innovative new wireless products supporting treatments and therapies to improve patient care and lower healthcare costs."

The CVRx Rheos System includes a small pulse generator that is implanted under the skin below the collarbone and two small electrical contacts to the carotid sinus. An external programmer uses Zarlink's MICS radio to wirelessly program the pulse generator to activate receptors located at the carotid sinus. These receptors then send chemical signals that the brain interprets as a rise in blood pressure and workload on the heart. This triggers the brain to take natural steps to improve cardiovascular function by reducing the heart rate, opening blood vessels, and releasing fluid from the body through the kidneys. The wireless radio link can also be used to adjust performance of the implanted device as necessary to meet each patient's individual needs.

"Our Rheos System automatically triggers the body's own natural approach to reduce high blood pressure for patients where drug therapy is not effective, and treat heart failure in patients with heart filling problems," states Joseph DuPay, VP of product development and operations, CVRx. "Zarlink's high-performance MICS radio technology, medical regulatory expertise, and technical support have been valuable in speeding the development of this new system."

According to the American Heart Association, hypertension causes an estimated one in eight deaths worldwide. In the United States alone, high blood pressure affects about 74 million people. Approximately 25 percent of people with hypertension cannot control their high blood pressure, despite the use of multiple medications. Heart failure, or the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs, affects 5.2 million adults in the United States. Heart failure significantly increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, and causes severe quality of life problems with patients experiencing shortness of breath, exercise intolerance and fluid retention.

Zarlink's ZL70102 MICS radio technology delivers high data rates, ultra-low power consumption and unique wake-up circuitry to enable wireless performance in medical devices supporting advanced monitoring, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Lead customers have designed Zarlink's MICS technology into pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), neurostimulation applications, and associated programming and monitoring equipment.