Wireless radio technology used in world's first implanted medical system for high blood pressure and heart failure

The ZL70102 medical implant communications service (mics) device was developed by Minneapolis based CVRx and triggers the body's natural physiological responses to regulate a patient's blood pressure and cardiovascular function. The CVRx Rheos system includes a small pulse generator that is implanted under the skin below the collarbone and two small electrical contacts to the carotid sinus. An external programmer uses Zarlink's mics radio to wirelessly program the pulse generator to activate receptors located at the carotid sinus. These receptors then send chemical signals that the brain interprets as a rise in blood pressure and workload on the heart. This triggers the brain to take natural steps to improve cardiovascular function by reducing the heart rate, opening blood vessels and releasing fluid from the body through the kidneys. The wireless radio link can also be used to adjust performance of the implanted device as necessary to meet each patient's individual needs. Joseph DuPay, vice president of Product Development and Operations, CVRx, said: "Our Rheos system automatically triggers the body's own natural approach to reduce high blood pressure for patients where drug therapy is not effective, and treat heart failure in patients with heart filling problems. Zarlink's high performance mics radio technology, medical regulatory expertise and technical support have been valuable in speeding the development of this new system." The ZL70102 mics radio technology is designed to deliver high data rates, low power consumption and wake up circuitry to enable wireless performance in medical devices supporting advanced monitoring, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.