Location: New Zealand
iRhythm’s Zio XT is a monitor worn as a single patch for a period of up to 14 days. The patient can continue their routine while wearing the heart monitor.
Traditional monitoring of changes to the heart rhythm or arrhythmias requires patients to wear Holter monitors for 24-72 hours at a time. These provide a continuous electrical trace of the heart, which is medically known as a continuous ECG. The monitor is cumbersome, difficult to conceal, and can require multiple appointments and monitoring sessions for doctors to get the data they need.
California-based medtech startup, iRhythm Technologies, has developed a less intrusive monitor that can reduce the cost of monitoring a patient by 72%. Rather than a bulky monitor with multiple sensor electrodes, they’ve packed their monitoring technology into a single patch applied to the chest. The monitor, Zio XT, can provide uninterrupted ECG monitoring for up to 14 days. It is designed to fit in with the patient’s usual lifestyle and allows them to sleep, exercise, and shower just as they normally would.
When the patient feels a change in their heartbeat that may deserve special attention, they press a button on the device. Using their smartphone, they can take notes in the companion app about how they are feeling and what they were doing at the time of the change.
The device can be posted directly to the patient. After the monitoring period concludes, a Zio report is generated and saved directly to the patient’s electronic health record. Access to a comfortable device for monitoring over a long period helps ensure adherence while giving the doctor more information to help them make informed treatment decisions.
Website: https://www.irhythmtech.com/products-services/zio-xt
Email: support@irhythmtech.com
Image: iRhythm
