Healthcare major Abbott launches dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system

Global healthcare company Abbott on Monday announced the launch of a dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system, which will help the heart beat properly without wires or surgical pockets used in traditional pacemakers.

Pacemakers help keep the heart beating at a healthy pace, especially in the case of bradycardia, a condition where the heart beats too slowly.

In a statement, Abbott said its implant-to-implant device technology enables wireless communication and synchronisation between two leadless pacemakers, which are smaller than an AAA battery.

Until recently, leadless pacemakers could only support one chamber of the heart, because getting two separate devices to work together in sync was a major challenge.

"As leadless pacing technology has evolved, we've built upon our AVEIR VR single-chamber platform to expand the benefits of leadless pacing to far more people and provide additional treatment options to patients," said Ajay Singh Chauhan, General Manager for Abbott's cardiac rhythm management business in India, Southeast Asia, HK, Taiwan & Korea.

The innovation allows two tiny leadless pacemakers - one in the upper chamber (right atrium) and one in the lower chamber (right ventricle) - to communicate with each other in real-time, beat by beat, Chauhan said.

The AVEIR DR leadless pacemaker system includes two tiny devices - AVEIR VR, which helps control the heartbeat in the lower chamber (right ventricle), and AVEIR AR, which supports the upper chamber (right atrium).

Each of the two leadless pacemakers is roughly about one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker.