Medtronic’s miniature pacemaker meets goals in global trial

Medtronic has announced positive safety and efficacy data from a global clinical trial of its innovative miniaturised Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS).

In the largest ever clinical data presentation of transcatheter pacing patients, the Micra TPS system was shown to be successfully implanted in 99.2 percent of patients in the trial, meeting its safety and effectiveness endpoints by a wide margin.

The trial included patients with serious comorbidities from 19 countries on five continents around the world, with results also showing a significant reduction in healthcare utilisation, due to fewer major complications compared to conventional pacing systems.

Brian Urke, vice-president and general manager within Medtronic's cardiac and vascular division, said: "This is an exciting time for patients who need pacing therapy, as the Micra technology delivered substantial value in the trial through a less invasive procedure with fewer complications compared to conventional devices."

The Micra TPS is the world's smallest pacemaker, at less than one-tenth the size of traditional devices, meaning it is cosmetically invisible and small enough to be delivered with minimally invasive techniques.