St Jude Medical has announced the Japanese launch of the Unify Quadra cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). This system was designed to help the heart perform in its most natural state by synchronising the left and right ventricles of the heart through timed electrical pulses.
The quadripolar system integrates multiple pacing configurations and features that provide physicians with more options to better manage common pacing complications without exposing the patient to additional surgeries in order to reposition the lead.
The Unify Quadra CRT-D works with the company’s Quartet left ventricular pacing lead. It features four electrodes, rather than the conventional two or less. The additional electrodes allow for multiple pacing configurations, which provide the physician with more pacing options. This includes the ability to pace closer to the base of the left ventricle, which research has consistently shown to provide better patient outcomes and can be difficult to achieve with the conventional two-electrode lead. The quadripolar pacing electrodes also allow physicians to avoid the most common kinds of pacing complications and to pace around scar tissue found in the heart.
“The Unify Quadra is a technological advance for patients that need cardiac resynchronisation therapy. With quadripolar technology, I have more pacing options available, which improves the probability for successful response to the therapy,” said Morio Shoda, associate professor, Department of Cardiology at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Japan.
“The many benefits of quadripolar pacing have been demonstrated by implanters around the world and reported in a large number of published studies. We are pleased to now have it available in Japan,” said William Phillips, president of St Jude Medical Japan. “We believe that this small and innovative CRT system has the potential to redefine the standard of care in resynchronisation therapy for heart failure patients.”
The Unify Quadra uses the new International Standards Organization (ISO) DF4 and IS4 connector specifications to further streamline the procedure. The DF4 connector reduces the number of connections between the defibrillation lead and the device, which can help improve patient comfort by reducing the bulk of wires in a patient’s chest. The IS4 connector enables four electrodes to be used on the Quartet left ventricular pacing lead while connecting to a single standard connector on the Unify Quadra device.
