A leading manufacturer of Magnetic Resonance (MR) conditional cardiac devices announced that it has received the CE (Conformité Européenne) approval for the use of its latest Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator (CRT-D) systems in full-body MRI scans.

Patients using the CRT-Ds now have access to full-body 1.5-T MRI scanning, enabling life-saving imaging for conditions such as strokes, and allowing physicians to provide patients with optimal treatment. In Europe, 15 million people are affected by heart failure and may need either CRT-Ds and/or MRI scans.

BIOTRONIK (Berlin, Germany) manufactures the ProMRI CRT-D devices which enable patients with a CRT-D, cardiac monitor, implantable defibrillator, or pacemaker to undergo an MRI scan.

Dr. Albert C. van Rossum, VU University Medical Center (VUmc; Amsterdam, The Netherlands), said, “This is a great development, especially in the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients, and opens diagnostic capabilities these patients were previously denied. CRT-Ds are commonly implanted in patients with severe heart problems, often the result of a heart attack. For the first time, we now have the opportunity to use the unique benefits of MRI to examine in depth how the heart reacts to resynchronization therapy and adjust treatments if needed. Full-body MRI including the heart during resynchronization therapy will give these patients a huge advantage, as it provides physicians much more detailed insight of their complex heart condition.”

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