Sorin Group Announces First PARADYM(TM) RF Implant and Subsequent First SMARTVIEW(TM) Remote Monitoring Activated Patient in North America

Sorin Group, (MIL:SRN) (Reuters Code: SORN.MI), a global medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today the first implant of PARADYM RF in Canada at the Montreal Heart Institute. The PARADYM^TM RF family of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) devices is fully supported by the recently launched SMARTVIEW^TM remote monitoring system.

The SMARTVIEW remote monitoring system enables the patient’s implantable device to communicate stored data wirelessly to the clinic where clinicians can review the information via a secure web application. With the SMARTVIEW system, clinicians are automatically notified about critical and significant changes in the patient’s heart condition and device status which may require closer management and remedial action.

Use of the SMARTVIEW system allows physicians to focus on the most important clinical and device information. The online reports instantly provide details about the device function for greater insight into a patient’s underlying medical condition. For patients, the SMARTVIEW system may reduce the number of office visits and the time spent travelling to and from their clinic for routine device checks.¹ The system is part of a smarter approach to cardiac rhythm management to help increase efficiencies in clinician’s management of a growing number of device patients.

"The ability of the device to transmit information remotely is of great importance to our team,” said Bernard Thibault, Electrophysiologist, M.D., FRCP(C) at Montreal Heart Institute, who performed the first PARADYM RF implant in Canada. "Equally important is the quality of that information. To get the diagnostics in a concise and consistent manner makes reviewing the data easier. Routine remote monitoring may reduce clinical patient load as well as reducing the need for patients to travel. I like that the patient remote monitor is a simple one-button interface as it will increase patient acceptance and reduce possible misuse of the device.”

The SMARTVIEW system has been designed with patient needs in mind, from the initial installation to longer-term follow-up. Device checks can be programmed according to a schedule to meet the specific needs of the patient, including times adaptable to night work shifts and vacation schedules. The SMARTVIEW system also provides the capability for patient initiated transmission. At the same time, patients can be assured that the SMARTVIEW system is governed by a multi-tier security system that is compliant with Canadian and European directives for data privacy ensuring that patient data are safeguarded.

"The SMARTVIEW remote monitoring system has the potential to improve care for hundreds of thousands of patients across the world,” said Stefano Di Lullo, Sorin Group, President of the CRM Business Unit. "By providing clinicians easy access to meaningful information from a patient’s device, they can assess the patient’s medical status quickly and efficiently. It represents an intelligent use of technology that leads to more informed care.”

About Sorin Group
Sorin Group (www.sorin.com) is a global, medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The Company develops, manufactures, and markets medical technologies for cardiac surgery and for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. With 3,750 employees worldwide, Sorin Group focuses on three major therapeutic areas: cardiopulmonary bypass (extracorporeal circulation and autotransfusion systems), cardiac rhythm management, and heart valve repair and replacement. Every year, over one million patients are treated with Sorin Group devices in more than 80 countries.

For more information, please visit www.sorin.com.

¹ Remote monitoring of Sorin’s implantable cardiac devices with SMARTVIEW is based on physician instructions. SMARTVIEW is not a substitute for appropriate medical attention and should only be used as directed by a physician.