New Device May Prevent Heart Attacks

The AngelMed Guardian system is an implantable cardiac monitoring and alerting system that is designed to warn cardiac patients of potentially life-threatening heart conditions. The AngelMed Guardian IMD is implanted in the same manner as a pacemaker.  The IMD is designed to recognize a potential heart attack by detecting a shift in the ST segment level of a patient's electrogram sensed using a standard pacemaker lead.  The ST segment level is continually compared to the normal patient electrogram using a patented Angel Medical Systems detection algorithm.

The AngelMed Guardian System is comprised of an internal implantable device about the size of a standard pacemaker with a lead into the heart; an external telemetry device; and a programmer that aids physicians in evaluating heart signals. When someone has a heart attack, it is typically the result of a blood clot closing one of the three major coronary arteries. When this happens, there is a shift in the ST segment of the heart signal caused by the electrical difference between the portion of the heart muscle fed by the closed artery and the rest of the heart that is still receiving oxygen.

COMPONENTS
IMD (Implantable Medical Device): Model AG101
An implanted device which is designed to detect, analyze and store the patient’s electrogram waveforms and other crucial heart-signal data. The IMD vibrates to warn the patient of alarms and alerts.

EXD (External Device): Model EXD001
A hand-held telemetry device that is engineered to warn the patient of alarms and alerts via beeps and flashing LEDs.  The EXD is also used for communication between the Programmer and the IMD; transmitting vital cardiac information from the IMD to the Programmer.

Programmer
A workstation used by the physician to configure the IMD and, when desired, retrieve data from the IMD.  It uses the EXD plug-in and long range telemetry technology to communicate with the patient's IMD.