USA — Medtronic has launched its MRI Care Pathway, a technology designed to streamline the process of MRI scanning for patients with MRI-compatible cardiac devices.

This is a significant development in the field, as research shows that up to 70% of patients with implanted cardiac devices will require an MRI at some point in their lifetime.

Furthermore, cardiac disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for over 17 million deaths annually.

In the United States alone, nearly 30 million people have some form of heart disease. One of the most critical elements in treating cardiac disease is the ability to accurately diagnose the condition.

MRI scans provide a non-invasive method for diagnosing a range of cardiac issues, including heart disease and arrhythmia.

MRI is a powerful diagnostic tool that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the body’s organs and tissues.

However, patients with implanted cardiac devices have traditionally been excluded from MRI scans due to the potential risks associated with the interaction between the devices and the strong magnetic fields used in MRI machines.

The powerful magnets and radiofrequency energy used in MRI scans can interfere with the functioning of these devices, potentially causing harm to the patient.

Therefore, patients with cardiac devices have historically been unable to undergo MRI scans or have faced significant delays in receiving the necessary imaging.

Medtronic’s MRI Care Pathway addresses these challenges by streamlining the MRI scan process for patients with MRI-compatible cardiac devices.

Medtronic’s MRI Care Pathway aims to address this issue by providing a user-friendly platform that can help healthcare providers safely conduct MRI scans on patients with Medtronic MRI-compatible cardiac devices.

The system includes a website and tablet-based application that allows clinicians to independently verify whether a patient’s cardiac device is MRI-compatible.

The app also includes built-in safety features that can alert technologists if an MRI scan cannot be safely performed.

Clinicians can use the website to check the compatibility of the patient’s cardiac device, and the technologist can then use the app to automatically set the appropriate device parameters for a safe MRI scan.

Once the scan is complete, the app can return the patient’s cardiac device to its pre-scan settings. The app then automatically adjusts the device parameters to the appropriate settings for the safe MRI scan and restores the patient’s cardiac device to its pre-scan settings.

Medtronic’s portfolio of SureScan products including pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization devices, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and insertable cardiac monitor systems, providing more options for patients with various cardiac conditions.

In separate development, Applied Medical Resources has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Medtronic over the alleged use of its size to eliminate competition in the US market for advanced bipolar surgical devices.

The lawsuit claims that Medtronic holds a 78% share of the advanced bipolar device market, which it leverages to promote bundling agreements with individual hospital systems and healthcare group purchasing organizations, shutting out competition.

Applied Medical said the bundling agreements have cost it millions of dollars in potential sales and brand goodwill.

The lawsuit also claims that the company has only a 3% share of the advanced bipolar devices market in the US, but 50% in some European countries.

Following its acquisition of Covidien in 2015, Medtronic became the largest medical device company globally, with a reported revenue of nearly US$32 billion and a workforce of 95,000 employees in its most recent fiscal year.

Meanwhile, Applied Medical, the plaintiff in the antitrust lawsuit, reported annual revenue of over US$800 million and has 5,400 employees.

In the most recent Medtech Big 100 report by Medical Design & Outsourcing, Medtronic maintained its position as the top medtech company.

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