On September 6, 2024, global healthcare company Abbott began rolling out its AVEIR dual chamber (DR) leadless pacemaker system across the UK, what it says is the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacing system, which treats people with abnormal or slow heart rhythms.
The company says that more than 2 million people in the UK currently live with arrhythmias or heart rhythm problems and nearly 80% of people who receive a pacemaker require a dual chamber option. Abbott’s latest AVEIR DR system is set to revolutionise patient care by offering beat-to-beat communication between the two leadless pacemakers in both chambers of the heart.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless devices like AVEIR DR are implanted directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure, eliminating the need for cardiac leads. This reduces patients’ exposure to potential lead and pocket-related complications, offering a less restrictive and shorter recovery period post-implantation.
Both the atrial and ventricular components of AVEIR DR leadless pacemakers are roughly one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker and communicate with each other using Abbott’s proprietary implant-to-implant (i2i) technology, to establish continuous, synchronised pacing between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
The i2i technology utilises high-frequency pulses that relay messages via the naturally conductive characteristics of the body’s blood, providing a groundbreaking solution that enables beat-to-beat communication between the two leadless pacemakers.
Conducted communication is critical as it uses far less battery current than inductive, radio- frequency or Bluetooth communication.
AVEIR leadless pacemakers are also engineered to be retrieved should a person’s therapy needs change, or if a replacement device is required in the future.
Professor Tom Wong, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield Hospital, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, had been involved in the early trials of using this novel leadless pacing system and was the first to treat patients with this ground breaking dual chamber leadless pacemaker in the UK. He said: “Two individual pacemakers in constant communication with each other to provide synchronous pacing is a major leap forward in pacing technology for our patients, especially for those who have complex heart disorders. We will be able to offer a unique, potentially life-saving, treatment option to our patients who will be at a reduced risk of future complications.”
Ross Campbell, Abbott’s General Manager, Cardiac Rhythm Management for UK and Ireland, said: “The seamless synchronisation of the two leadless pacemakers in Abbott’s AVEIR Dual Chamber system is a significant project we’ve worked hard to engineer. By offering this effective treatment option in the UK, we hope to significantly improve the lives of those living with irregular heart rhythms across the country.”
