Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) and St. Jude Inc. (NYSE: STJ) have released similar wireless transmission devices that are designed to send data from patients’ implanted cardiac devices to physicians.
It’s tempting to say that the new wireless transmitters are competing products, but each works only with each company’s proprietary medical devices, such as defibrillators and pacemakers.
Each new device allows for patients to send data from their cardiac medical devices via cellular networks, rather than having to rely on dialup phone lines.
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St. Jude’s wireless USB adaptor works with its Merlin@home transmitter, which typically sits on a patient’s bedside table and communicates with the patients’ devices while they’re sleeping.
Medtronic calls its transmission device the M-Link, and it sends information from a patient’s medical device to the company’s CareLink network, which doctors can access to obtain patient device data.
The remote monitoring capabilities provided by the devices allow for automated follow-up appointments and daily device checks with limited patient action required. That reduces unnecessary visits to the physician’s office, and helps physicians more quickly become aware of changes to a patient’s device.
Both companies are seeking to capitalize on the market for remote patient-monitoring services that use mobile networks. A report last month from Jupiter Research estimated the market’s size at $1.9 billion in 2014, mobihealth news reported.
Photo from flickr user philipshannon
