Boston Scientific Developing Leadless Pacer

Boston Scientific is developing a leadless pacer system to work in tandem with its subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The devicemaker outlined parts of its vision at the recent annual Heart Rhythm Society meeting in Boston.

The pacer system will feature a self-contained capsule without a lead, implanted through a vein near the collar bone, Dr. Ken Stein, CRM chief medical officer, tells Device Daily. Through miniaturization, the battery, computer and integrated circuits will fit into a tiny unit. The hope is to have the heart communicate with device in the space underneath the collar bone, and avoid the complications of having leads running through the blood vessels.

Stein says leadless pacing only fulfills a niche patient group needing ventricle support, but the ability to pair the device with an S-ICD greatly extends its utility among the patient population.

The product is already in active research, with the company planning to have finished development sometime in 2016.

From there, it expects to pursue regulatory approval from both Europe and the U.S. — Jason Scott