Medtronic has obtained CE mark certification from the European Union for its Attain Performa portfolio of quadripolar leads.
The quadripolar leads are compatible with the company's Viva/Brava Quad cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D), which feature the AdaptivCRT algorithm for improving heart failure patients' response rate to therapy by preserving normal heart rhythms and continuously adapting to patient needs.
The leads are available in various shapes including Dual Cant, S-Shape and Straight, feature four electrodes with 16 pacing configurations and are designed with shorter spacing between the two center electrodes to increase phrenic nerve thresholds and reduce phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS).
Attain Performa leads also comprise steroid elution on all four electrodes for lower chronic pacing thresholds, which contribute to greater device longevity and reduce the likelihood of PNS, claims the company.
The leads also use an automated in-office test, VectorExpress technology, to provide information on physician-selected pacing configurations in less than three minutes and facilitates in selecting the optimal pacing configuration for stimulating the heart.
S Filippo Neri Hospital cardiovascular department director and World Society of Arrhythmias president Massimo Santini said, "This sophisticated new lead family provides physicians with the flexibility needed to effectively navigate diverse patient anatomies and help maintain optimal lead position, which has been proven to improve CRT response."
The company said Attain Performa leads are not approved for sale in the US.
