First Internet-Connected Pacemaker Successfully Implanted
The first American to be implanted with a wireless pacemaker is now walking happily around while the device communicates remotely with her doctor. Carol Kasyjanski of New York became the first patient to receive the new pacemaker, which was made by St. Jude Medical Inc. and approved by the FDA in July. The device downloads all its information into a remote monitor in Kasyjanski's home at least once a day and the monitor automatically assesses the performance of both the pacemaker and the patient’s heart. Then it uploads the information to a central server. If something dangerous is detected during the automated check, the system notifies the doctor immediately. If nothing of note is found, doctors can also browse the larger collection of data uploaded to the server at their leisure. With instant access to information from a pacemaker, doctors can be more involved with...