Zoll Medical has announced the launch of and first patient prescription for its Zoll µCor heart failure and arrhythmia management system (HFAMS).
Designed for patients with fluid management problems, Zoll µCor is a patch-based, non-invasive, wireless system that can be worn 24 hours a day. It uses radiofrequency technology to track pulmonary fluid levels, which is considered an early indicator of heart failure decompensation.
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The device continuously records, stores and transmits patient data, including heart rate, Thoracic Fluid Index, respiration rate, heart rhythm (ECG), activity and posture.
This data is analysed by the company’s algorithms to find patient-specific trends in order to allow early identification of any deterioration in their condition.
Technicians at a Zoll facility will monitor the data and offer alerts based on pre-defined criteria.
The notifications are intended to help the prescribing physician to diagnose and identify a variety of clinical conditions, events and/or trends, enabling timely intervention.
Zoll Cardiac Management Solutions president Jason Whiting said: “Despite improvements in medical therapy, 50% of patients hospitalised for heart failure are readmitted within six months of discharge, with the highest readmission rates occurring in the first 30 days.
“The Zoll HFAMS’ remote monitoring of fluid level changes will help clinicians intervene in a timely manner by detecting early evidence of heart failure decompensation.”
ZOLL µCor is meant for use in outpatient clinics and at home for patients aged 21 years and above.
More than 650,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed every year in the US, where the condition impacts approximately six million individuals and leads to 1.2 million hospitalisations.
Currently, heart failure costs more than $30bn annually in the country, and 60%-80% of expenses associated with hospitalisation. It is expected that these statistics will rise in the future.
