St. Jude Medical announced the European launch of the Unify Quadra(TM) cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). The Unify Quadra CRT-D works with the company's Quartet(TM) left ventricular pacing lead. The combined system offers physicians the ability to effectively and efficiently manage the changing pacing needs of patients with heart failure with a downsized quadripolar pacing system. In Europe, heart failure affects more than 14 million people, and is projected to affect about 30 million by 2020.
St. Jude Medical introduced quadripolar technology last year in Europe with the Promote Quadra(TM) CRT-D, and is the only company to offer quadripolar technology. The system integrates multiple pacing configurations and features that enable physicians to optimize the system at implant and throughout the life of the patient, as well as better manage common pacing complications without exposing the patient to additional surgeries to reposition the lead.
The Unify Quadra is the next generation of the technology, providing all the benefits of quadripolar technology in a device with the industry's smallest footprint. The device's narrower shape allows physicians to implant the system using a shorter incision, with less time spent closing the incision, and a smaller scar for the patient.
The Unify Quadra uses the new International Standards Organization (ISO) DF4 and IS4 connector specifications to further streamline the procedure. The DF4 connector reduces the number of connections between the defibrillation lead and the device, which can improve patient comfort by reducing the bulk of wires in the patient's chest. The IS4 connector enables four electrodes to be used on the Quartet left ventricular pacing lead while connecting to a single standard connector on the Unify Quadra device.
The Quartet left ventricular pacing lead - used as part of the Unify Quadra system - features four electrodes, instead of the usual two. Multiple pacing configurations allow the physician more options, including pacing closer to the base of the left ventricle, which recent studies associate with better patient outcomes and which may be less possible with traditional leads that only have two electrodes. The quadripolar pacing electrodes also provide physicians additional benefits, such as pacing around scar tissue in the heart and avoiding the most common pacing complications.
