JBP has supported the media launch of the world’s first wireless in-heart micro-computer to be implanted in patients in the UK – on behalf of its client Vectorious.
The procedures took place at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare Trust.
The V-LAP is a pioneering device designed to dramatically improve the quality of life for people living with heart failure, helping them better manage the condition and reduce the need for hospital re-admissions. It is implanted in the heart’s left atrium, from where it feeds back early, accurate data about pressure changes in the heart. The sensor does not have a battery and is charged remotely from outside the patient’s body using a chest strap which also collects and transmits the data to doctors.
Since the study was launched in January 2019, nine heart failure patients across Europe have been fitted with the device. In 2020 the study will be launched in the US.
The first procedure was featured in the Daily Telegraph, The Sun and The Daily Mail, while the second was filmed by BBC Click and will be featured exclusively on their show in the New Year.
Heart failure is the most common reason for people over 65 to be admitted to hospital, accounting for 63,000 emergency admissions a year. The device therefore could help make multi-million-pound savings for the NHS.
Chris Lawrance, Managing Director of JBP, said:
We were delighted to have been involved in the launch of such a breakthrough technology which could change the lives of those who have suffered from heart failure. It builds on our track record in the healthcare sector.