Abbott Laboratories Says FDA Approves Assert-IQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor

(RTTNews) - Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced Thursday that its Assert-IQ insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, giving physicians a new option for diagnostic evaluation and long-term monitoring of people experiencing irregular heartbeats.

This clearance builds on Abbott's portfolio of connected health devices that can better help doctors manage and treat their patients remotely.

Using Bluetooth technology, Abbott's Assert-IQ ICM is designed to remain connected to a transmitter - usually the person's own cell phone - where it checks heart rhythms every 20 seconds, transmitting results in real-time to the clinic's portal.

The Assert-IQ ICM also offers advanced diagnostic capabilities to provide physicians with more clinically relevant information about the cardiovascular health of the patient, allowing care providers to make clinical decisions faster.