article: The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was tested at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank. ICD devices shock the heart back into rhythm when they detect a potential cardiac arrest. Doctors have had difficulty monitoring heart problems with older devices amid fears that MRI scanners would disrupt their electronics. The Ellipse ICD, developed by US manufacture St Jude Medical, will now be tested in a further 165 patients at 60 MRI centres around the world. Consultant cardiologist Dr Roy Gardner, who is leading the trial at the Golden Jubilee, said: "While these devices are often life-saving, they do not allow patients to undergo MRI scans, which are crucial for detecting and monitoring a number of conditions, including signs of a stroke, tumours and complex cardiac abnormalities, which means that these vulnerable patients have to be treated using less detailed imaging systems. "Recruiting patients to this trial could help provide a better and safer standard of care for patients all across Scotland. "It also means we are playing a key role in making these devices available for use in the United States, sharing our knowledge and expertise with other specialist centres to help thousands of individuals suffering from heart conditions every year. "Our first patient's procedure went very smoothly and provided a great start to an incredibly important project. As such, we are now about to recruit our sixth patient to this study." Dr Mike Higgins, medical director of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, said: "The ability to implant MRI-ready pacemakers is a unique innovation that allows us to continue to offer the highest standard of care possible for individuals with complex heart conditions and improve treatment for future generations across the world."
summary: An new implantable heart device which resists interference from magnetic scanners has been tested in Scotland.