LifeVest, the first wearable defibrillator, is manufactured by LIFECOR and will be showcased by ZOLL Medical at the Heart Rhythm Society convention, May 17 to 20 in Boston, MA.
The device protects people who have a high risk of sudden death, a common occurrence in patients with myocardial infarction and nonischemic cardiomyopathy.
Wearable defibrillators are intended for temporary use and may be rented on a monthly basis, worn outside the body rather than implanted in the chest. A noninvasive device worn under normal clothing and weighing about three pounds, LifeVest continuously monitors the patient’s heart to detect life-threatening abnormal hearth rhythms. If a life-threatening rhythm is detected and the patient is unconscious, the device delivers an electrical shock to restore normal rhythm, typically within one minute.