MedTech innovator Cardiac Tech is developing ground-breaking pacing technologies in partnership with Camgenium

Overview

MedTech innovator Cardiac Tech is developing ground-breaking pacing technology to keep patients safe in intensive care and hospital wards following open heart surgery. Cardiac Tech approached Cambridge-based software engineering company Camgenium to assist with the development of its new medical device product, Pace-Protect.

Research shows that there are around 1,500 adverse events reported each year in the US alone following open-heart surgery attributable to the management of temporary pacemakers. Cardiac Tech, with the help of Camgenium, is seeking to minimise these adverse events by developing a device that monitors all aspects of temporary pacing and reports acute changes immediately to the medical clinician in charge of the patient's care via a cloud-based platform and app. The Pace-Protect system has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes following open heart surgery.

Project background

Will Simpson, CEO at Cardiac Tech, explains “Following open heart surgery, patients often experience rhythm disturbances which can lead to serious complications. To counter this a patient will typically be fitted with a temporary pacemaker. Research shows that these temporary pacing systems are often problematic. We wanted to develop a pioneering solution which enabled medical professionals working in high pressure environments to be alerted of any issues immediately, bringing help to the patient before an adverse event occurs. Partnering with Camgenium brought our vision to life.”

Cardiac Tech is developing a new medical device system called “Pace-Protect” to be used in intensive care wards to monitor the operation of temporary pacemakers following cardiac surgery. When open heart surgery is performed, this can cause disruption to the heart’s electrical conduction system, and the drugs used frequently cause transient bradycardia (slow heart rate). To correct this, pacing wires are normally attached to the epicardium (outer surface of the heart) during surgery which pass out of the patient’s abdomen and are connected to the temporary pacemaker at the patient’s bedside. The temporary pacemaker provides electronic impulses that cause the heart to contract and to pump blood around the body until the patient’s normal heart function is restored.

Currently, temporary pacemakers are programmed manually according to the patient’s requirements. As the heart’s conduction system recovers, however, the pacing parameters frequently change, and the changes often go unnoticed. This creates a situation where the patient’s own heart ‘conflicts’ with the impulses from the external pacemaker. This can slow the patient’s recovery, or, in extreme circumstances, can even lead to cardiac arrest. Unless sub-optimal pacemaker programming is detected immediately and rectified, therefore, the consequences for the patient can be serious.

Cardiac Tech identified the need for a device to safeguard patients that would minimise complications arising from this type of adverse event by detecting problems early, instantly alerting the whole clinical team and providing them with detailed pacing information.

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