March 15, 2013 — AliveCor announced that its mobile Heart Monitor for iPhone is now available by prescription to enable patients to record their heart rhythm anytime, anywhere. The Heart Monitor, which makes home cardiac assessment quick and easy, is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared mobile device–based electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor that is compatible with iPhone4 and 4S. The device was demonstrated at the ACC.13 annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology March 9 through March 11 in San Francisco.
The convenient and portable AliveCor Heart Monitor, formerly available only to U.S. medical professionals and now to patients by prescription, is enhancing the way patient arrhythmias are screened and monitored. All it takes is placing one’s fingers on the sensors; there are no leads to attach or special preparation needed. The accessibility makes recording ECGs easy when symptoms arise and can increase patient compliance and overall satisfaction. ECG readings are instantly displayed on the iPhone screen. The Heart Monitor is available for purchase by medical professionals and by prescription for $199.
“The AliveCor Heart Monitor is truly disruptive,” said Hugo Campos, e-patient and member of the Society for Participatory Medicine. “It helps me capture episodes when they happen and helps me understand how to avoid them. It’s now possible to record our ECG rhythm whenever we want and share it with whomever we want.”
Clinical studies of the device indicate that a high-quality single-channel ECG can be rapidly and simply recorded using an iPhone with the AliveCor application and device, allowing accurate screening for cardiac arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly occurring arrhythmia and carries a five-fold risk of stroke.
“The ability for doctors to prescribe this device to patients is a real breakthrough to help patients participate in their health and work with their physicians to truly collaborate on their care,” said Dave Albert, CMO and co-founder of AliveCor.
The AliveCor Heart Monitor snaps onto the back of an iPhone, like a case, to record, display, store and transfer single-channel ECG rhythms wirelessly with the corresponding, free AliveECG app. No pairing between the iPhone and Heart Monitor is required. Recorded rhythm strips can be of any duration, and are stored in the app and securely in the cloud in PDF format for reviewi, analysis, and printing through AliveCor’s HIPAA-compliant website. ECG data is accessible anytime, anywhere.
For more information: visit AliveCor.com