Medtronic, Inc. announced the launch of the Medtronic CareLink Network for European patients at the EUROPACE meeting in Lisbon this week. This new system allows patients to transmit data electronically from their implantable cardioverter-defibrillators over the Internet to their physicians.
The system works by patients holding a small antenna over their chest wall where the device is positioned. Data is transmitted to the nearby CareLink Monitor and then through a telephone line to a central data center in Europe. Clinicians then can access their patients’ secure files by logging into a designated website to review the information. Previously, patients had to report to their physician’s office two to four times a year.
The CareLink Monitor system is available in the United States and is currently used by approximately 130,000 patients to monitor their cardiac and device status.
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