Japan Approves Boston Scientific's Implantable Defibrillator

Japan approved the launch of Boston Scientific's Vitality DR implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the firm announced. The device is the smallest dual-chamber ICD currently offered in Japan, according to Boston Scientific.

The firm said the small size and shape of the device were designed to facilitate ease of insertion. It added that the Vitality DR system uses AV Search Hysteresis programming, a proprietary feature that reduces right ventricular pacing when the heart's natural rhythm is present.

More than 100,000 ICDs from the Vitality family have been implanted in patients since the system was introduced in Europe in 2002, Boston Scientific said.