title: The Heartpod implantable heart failure therapy system.
abstract: Congestive heart failure has been described as the new epidemic, despite advances in drug therapy a 2-year mortality of up to 50% persists. This is despite recent improvements in drug therapy. There are limitations to the current drug treatments and cardiac resynchronization devices. The treatment of diastolic dysfunction can be suboptimal. The Savacor Company developed the Heartpod device to directly measure left atrial pressure in patients with congestive heart failure via an implantable device. The patient can in real time, download their intra-cardiac pressure measurements to a hand-held device. With this information, they can titrate their own treatment in a very precise manner.
authors.affiliation: Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Vic., Australia. twalton@bigpond.net.au
authors.forename: Antony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016279:Atrial Function, Left; D001831:Body Temperature; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation; D004285:Dogs; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013552:Swine