Medtronic reports positive preliminary data for Micra pacemaker

Medtronic has announced encouraging initial outcomes associated with its Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, which was recently implanted in humans for the first time.

The device, billed as the world's smallest pacemaker, is an investigational system that is being assessed in a global clinical trial involving up to 780 patients at approximately 50 centres.

Results from the first four patients were recently presented at a conference in Nice, revealing that the procedures were successful in all cases after three months. There were no major complications post-implant and the device performed as expected, with electrical values within normal ranges.

The miniature device does not require a surgical incision and is only one-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker, comparable to the scale of a large vitamin tablet.

Dr Clemens Steinwender, head of cardiology at the Linz General Hospital, who presented the data at Cardiostim 2014, said: "We are encouraged by these preliminary results and are hopeful that this less invasive procedure will provide similar outcomes for all patients in the trial."

The device was implanted in a UK patient by a team at Southampton General Hospital for the first time earlier this month.