Innovative cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) now provide patients with access to advanced 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices.

The Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland) Claria MRI Quad CRT-D SureScan, Amplia MRI Quad CRT-D SureScan, and Compia MRI Quad CRT-D SureScan line of CRT-Ds have received the European Community CE marking for 3-Tesla MRI scans without positioning restrictions. In addition to the full line of CRT-Ds, Medtronic MR-conditional cardiac rhythm, heart failure devices and leads, deep brain stimulation (DBS) neurostimulators, and spinal cord stimulators, previously approved for 1.5 Tesla are now approved for full body scans in both 1.5- and 3-Tesla MRI machines in Europe.

As many as 40% of CRT patients will need an MRI within four years after receiving a device, but until the availability of MR-conditional CRT-Ds, patients with these devices were contraindicated from undergoing MRI scans because of the potential interaction between the MRI machine and device functions, which could result in risk to the patient. This has prevented thousands of heart failure patients from receiving an MRI scan.

“Medtronic is committed to providing patients with the most advanced MR-conditional technology available in cardiac rhythm and heart failure devices so they can have full access to essential MRI scans,” said David Steinhaus, MD, medical director for the cardiac rhythm and heart failure division at Medtronic. “With this latest regulatory milestone, Medtronic now provides both 1.5 and 3T MR-conditional pacemakers, ICMs, ICDs, and CRT-Ds in Europe.”

“The most common magnetic field strength for an MRI is 1.5T, particularly for cardiac MRI; however, many institutions are installing 3T scanners to provide increased image clarity for conditions involving the brain and spine,” said Prof. Juerg Schwitter, MD, director of the Cardiac MR Center at the University Hospital Lausanne (Switzerland). “With expanded access to 3T scans, physicians can now use a broader spectrum of MRI machines to most accurately diagnose critical and even life-threatening conditions.”

The Claria MRI CRT-D features the EffectivCRT Diagnostic and the EffectivCRT during AF algorithm, which automatically adjusts pacing rates, without adversely affecting the average heart rate. Claria MRI and Amplia MRI CRT-Ds also feature the Medtronic-exclusive AdaptivCRT algorithm, which improves CRT response rate by 12% and reduces risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) by 46%, as compared to echo-optimized biventricular pacing. They also enable multiple point pacing, which can stimulate two sites on the left ventricle simultaneously.

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