More than 400,000 heart surgeries take place in the United States annually and many of these patients experience heart arrhythmias after operation. Atrility Medical’s new AtriAmp is allowing for faster arrhythmia diagnosis, as the condition can often be difficult to spot.
Heart arrythmias can cause symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, and even death. The AtriAmp acts as a hub between the patient's heart, monitor, and if necessary, a temporary pacemaker.
The device functions through temporarily sutured pacing wires on the heart and connects them to the bedside monitor. It measures cardiac electrical signals and displays them as an electrocardiogram on the monitor. The wires are sutured to the heart during surgery to allow for real-time signal, leading to faster awareness of the arrhythmias.
Chief Marketing Officer, Dr. Nicholas Von Bergen said, “I thought, ‘Why in the world don’t we have a simple device that would allow continuous monitoring of the atria [top chambers of the heart] through these leads, which is the gold standard for arrhythmia identification?”
The AtriAmp received a 510(K) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in October of 2020. It is currently being used at the University of Wisconsin’s pediatric intensive care unit. The sales began as a result of Bergen's close connections to pediatric cardiac research as an associate professor of cardiology.
Although COVID-19 has affected AtriAmp’s distribution, Atrility Medical plans to expand to hospitals for adult patients. It has completed its first sales this quarter, and thanks to the Isthmus Project, has received support from clinicians, investors, and advisors.
The University of Wisconsin's unit has given overwhelmingly positive feedback about the device. Atrility Medical is also among the semifinalists in the 2021 Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
This device has the potential to quicken the diagnosis of heart arrythmias, present more accurate data, and improve patient outcomes. Although there is a plethora of ECG equipment on the market, the AtriAmp stands out through its real-time, direct signals.
