St. Jude Gets FDA Approval of Wireless Transmitter

The FDA has approved St. Jude Medical’s Merlin@home transmitter, a radio-frequency wireless technology that remotely monitors patients’ implanted cardiac devices.

The transmitter can automatically check implanted devices by downloading data with scheduled daily and follow-up checks. Patients must be within range of the device, which is transportable and can be set up with a standard phone line, St. Jude said.

The device works with the company’s data management system, the Merlin.net Patient Care Network, which stores information for physicians to review and allows data to be sent directly to a clinic or hospital electronic health records system.