A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices
I’m happy to share that a paper I coauthored with Daniel Villamil, “The Forgotten History of Semi-Implanted Radiofrequency- and Inductive-Powered Cardiac Pacing Systems,” has been published online in Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology (PACE). The paper explores an often overlooked chapter in pacemaker history. These systems transferred energy across intact skin to a small and remarkably [ ]
AtaCor Medical, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, announced the enrollment of the first patient in the ALARION-EV study to evaluate its Atala™ parasternal extravascular lead with an Abbott implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD). The Atala™ lead is implanted through a small left parasternal incision, with the lead positioned through a rib space and electrodes…
On June 8, 2026, Biotronik announced the first U.S. implant of its LivIQ leadless pacemaker as part of the BIO-LivIQ global pivotal clinical trial. The device uses a novel far-field sensing scheme to electrically detect atrial activity and thus enable a single-device VDD mode. According to Biotronik, this sensing approach supports AV synchrony across a [ ]
MicroTransponder (now renamed Mobia Medical) developed the Vivistim™ system intended for the treatment of stroke. The implant is based on the idea that synchronizing vagus nerve stimulation with movement increases neural plasticity in the brain, resulting in enhanced recovery. In May 2017 MicroTransponder presented results from its Vivistim™ Stroke Rehabilitation trial. The objective…
The historical device display at HRS received a wonderful reception, and I am grateful to everyone who stopped by to look, ask questions, and share memories. Together with Dr. James Ong, Dr. Jason Jacobs, and Dr. Aileen Ferrick, I had the privilege of curating a display centered on the evolution of power sources used for [ ]
The 2026 AIMD Workshop is coming up soon in Delft, and the full program is now available. It is packed with interesting talks and sessions. You can view the full program here: AIMD Workshop 2026 Program Overview. Registration is still open through the official Registration Page. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Epia Neuro is a San Francisco brain-computer interface company that came out of stealth in early April 2026. It is focused on restoring function for people with neurological conditions, starting with post-stroke motor impairment and later expanding to areas such as cognitive decline and other neurologic disorders. The company describe it as building “intent-driven” neurotechnology [ ]
Relief Cardiovascular is a private early-stage company founded in 2022 and focused on transcatheter implants for heart-failure congestion, especially volume-overload and diuretic-resistant disease. It is backed by cardiovascular-focused investors including Broadview Ventures, Advent Life Sciences, Good Growth Capital, and Heartwork Capital. The company’s lead product is the RELIEF System, which it…
I’m pleased to share that our paper has now been published in PACE: “Pioneering Rhythm Management: A Design Analysis of the Earliest Battery-Powered Implantable Pacemakers.” Over the past year, my colleague Daniel Villamil and I have pursued this as a hobby project, combining historical research with hands-on engineering. We analyze the earliest battery-powered implantable pacemakers [ ]
While curating HRS’ device collection, Dr. James Ong found this curious artifact. We tried looking for information about it online but came empty handed, so I decided to investigate further Here are my findings: Prutchi 2026 General Electric A2074AA Pulse Sensor