Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center Announces First Use of Miniature Cardiac Monitor, Reveal Linq™ ICM

April 10, 2014

Small, Wireless Monitor Provides Long-Term Remote Monitoring to Help Physicians Diagnose and Monitor Irregular Heartbeats

Holy Name Medical Center announced that it is one of the first hospitals in Bergen County to implant the Medtronic Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) System in a patient, the smallest implantable cardiac monitoring device available. Scott Ruffo, MD, Holy Name Medical Center Cardiac Electrophysiologist implanted the device in a patient that has presented with atrial fibrillation and syncope, unexplained fainting.  "The device is inserted similar to that of an intravenous line," explains Dr. Ruffo.  "The advanced technology allows for wireless monitoring which can be transmitted to the physician anywhere in the world."

The Reveal LINQ ICM is approximately one-third the size of a AAA battery - making it more than 80 percent smaller than other similar cardiac monitors. While significantly smaller, the device is part of a powerful system that allows physicians to continuously and wirelessly monitor a patient's heart for up to three years, with 20 percent more data memory than its larger predecessor, Reveal® XT.

"The sophistication of the device allows for us to better diagnose and subsequently treat patients with atrial fibrillation, or other arrhythmias," explains Dr. Ruffo.  "Holy Name Medical Center continually strives to provide its patients with the latest advancements in healthcare."

In addition to its continuous and wireless monitoring capabilities, the system provides remote monitoring through the Carelink® Network. Through the Carelink Network, physicians can request notifications to alert them if their patients have had cardiac events. The Reveal LINQ ICM is indicated for patients who experience symptoms such as dizziness, palpitation, syncope (fainting) and chest pain that may suggest a cardiac arrhythmia, and for patients at increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias.

Placed just beneath the skin through a small incision of less than 1 cm in the upper left side of the chest, the Reveal LINQ ICM is often nearly invisible to the naked eye once inserted. The device is placed using a minimally invasive insertion procedure, which simplifies the experience for both physicians and their patients. The Reveal LINQ ICM is MR-Conditional, allowing patients to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if needed.

The Reveal LINQ system also includes the new MyCareLink ™ Patient Monitor, a simplified remote monitoring system with global cellular technology that transmits patients' cardiac device diagnostic data to their clinicians from nearly any location in the world.