AliveCor’s Atrial Fibrillation-Detecting Algorithm Gets CE Mark

AliveCor’s algorithm to detect atrial fibrillation received a CE mark, paving the way for its use in the UK and Ireland. The AliveECG app detects AF via a real-time electrocardiogram recording using the company’s AliveCor Heart Monitor, the San Francisco, Calif., devicemaker said.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of irregular heartbeat, affecting about 2 million people in the UK and Ireland. It is responsible for a third of all strokes there, AliveCor said. AF and related illnesses cost the National Health Service over $3.34 billion annually, a cost that is expected to rise.

The AliveCor AF detector allows patients to instantly know if their ECG registers atrial fibrillation. Results can be confirmed with a cardiologist or physician through an ECG analysis system, facilitating intervention before strokes and other life-threatening events occur.

The app and monitor are compatible with all iPhone models and most Android mobile devices, and users can access their data confidentially anytime, anywhere, the company said.

The algorithm received FDA clearance last August, and the app launched in the U.S. in September. — Kellen Owings