Physio-Control announces commercial availability of ReadyLink 12-Lead ECG device

Physio-Control, Inc., a global leader in emergency medical solutions and wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT), today announced commercial availability of the ReadyLink™ 12-Lead ECG device, a new, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k)-cleared solution designed to improve care for heart attack patients and expand regional STEMI systems.

“It was designed specifically for the needs of BLS teams responding to a chest pain call, providing them with real-time decision support and cutting time-to-treatment by directing them to the appropriate care facility, making more successful patient outcomes possible.”

ReadyLink enables basic life support (BLS) emergency medical service (EMS) providers to acquire and transmit a patient's 12-lead ECG to hospitals using the LIFENET^® System, Physio-Control's cloud-based data network for remote physician interpretation and decision support. This provides earlier insight into a chest pain patient's condition, especially in rural areas with limited access to advanced life support (ALS) providers, and helps enable the most efficient routing for patient treatment.

The 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care emphasize the importance of a well-organized approach to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care to activate rapid access to reperfusion therapy. STEMI is a type of heart attack that reduces or blocks circulation of blood to the heart and can result in death or serious disability for the patient. ReadyLink expands a regional STEMI system's reach by enabling BLS providers to rapidly identify STEMI patients with the assistance of trained clinicians, starting the treatment clock earlier and reducing overall time to treatment.

"The ReadyLink 12-Lead ECG is the first device of its kind designed to expand the reach of regional chest pain management networks," said Brian Webster, president, Physio-Control. "It was designed specifically for the needs of BLS teams responding to a chest pain call, providing them with real-time decision support and cutting time-to-treatment by directing them to the appropriate care facility, making more successful patient outcomes possible."

As simple as it is portable, ReadyLink only requires a three-step process to capture and transmit a 12-lead ECG: 1) prepare patient's skin and place electrodes; 2) one-button push to acquire 12-lead ECG; and 3) one-button push to transmit ECG to selected hospital facility via the LIFENET System. Additional ReadyLink features include:

• All ECG leads visible on screen
• Full keyboard for easy patient data entry
• Backlit screen
• External AC/DC converter with rechargeable lithium ion battery
• Built-in modem
• Internal storage up to 60 ECGs

"ReadyLink focuses on one activity and clinical patient condition versus the multiple clinical capabilities of an ALS monitor," said Randy Merry, vice president product realization, Physio-Control. "With ReadyLink, our customers do not need to know how to interpret a heart rhythm, the only training required is how to place electrodes on a patient's chest and transmit the 12-lead ECG."

ReadyLink is being exhibited publicly for the first time at two pre-hospital conferences - Fire Rescue International (Atlanta, August 26-27) and EMS World Expo (Las Vegas, August 31-September 2).