NICE, France, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- The new Lumax 540 technologies together with Biotronik Home Monitoring(R) offer remote, wireless advanced patient management that provides daily protection for patients with life-threatening arrhythmias.

BIOTRONIK GmbH & Co KG, the pioneer in wireless remote monitoring technology for patients with cardiac devices, announced the launch of the Lumax 540 series today. This technologically advanced series, which includes implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), has many industry-leading features to save and enhance patients' lives. This together with BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring(R) enables continuous automatic daily data transmission of the patient's cardiovascular status. The information is available to the physicians online allowing them to continuously check their patients' cardiac and device status.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080618/309374 )

"Lumax 540 has an excellent range of high quality features that allow physicians to tailor the treatment to our individual patients. Coupled with the BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring technologies, we are able to access patient data online anywhere in the world," said Professor Panos Vardas, Cardiology Department, University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

The Lumax 540 series has a unique set of state-of-the-art features to ensure that patients receive the appropriate therapy adapted to their individual needs while maintaining optimal safety. SelectSense has various presettings to adapt sensing characteristics to individual patient needs to ensure accurate arrhythmia detection. The Defibrillation Threshold Manager ensures that life-saving shock therapy is delivered successfully. In addition, the Automatic Threshold Monitor performs daily threshold measurements. The Heart Failure Monitor detects changes in heart failure conditions with an extensive range of clinical predictors. A comprehensive set of diagnostic capabilities included in the Lumax 540 devices help physicians with the identification of clinically relevant atrial fibrillation and the early detection of worsening heart failure status.

BIOTRONIK's extensive engineering research has produced industry-leading batteries which extend the life of the Lumax 540 devices up to 10 years. "Patients could benefit from this extended battery life due to the need for fewer device replacements over time, thereby improving quality of life and at the same time helping to reduce healthcare costs. In fact, we are so confident in the advantages of our new battery technology, BIOTRONIK will further extend our warranty for our Lumax 540 ICDs", commented Marlou Janssen, Vice President Global Marketing and Sales, Cardiac Rhythm Management, BIOTRONIK. "With the Lumax 540 series BIOTRONIK has demonstrated its commitment to patients by developing the highest quality devices that offer daily protection with optimal therapy delivery for an improved quality of life and to save patients' lives."

The number of patients with cardiac devices who require follow-up has increased dramatically and is putting clinics under considerable pressures to meet these needs. The innovative set of functionalities of the Lumax 540 series help physicians efficiently and easily automate the in-office follow up of patients with BIOTRONIK devices. For the first time all essential follow up data are ready for review, print-out and automatic data storage within 20 seconds after device interrogation. The same data is also available to the physician via the BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring(R) technology for daily automatic event detection and on-demand online patient status reviews.

The Lumax 540 devices offer the unique combination of advanced tachycardia therapy management, diagnostic capabilities and remote monitoring technologies which support physicians in creating efficient care pathways for their patients with cardiac devices and further improve patient care. The Lumax 540 series delivers tomorrow's care standards to patients today.

About BIOTRONIK GmbH & Co. KG

As one of the worlds leading cardiovascular medical device companies, with several million implanted devices, BIOTRONIK is present in all world markets. Known for having its finger on the pulse of the medical community, BIOTRONIK helps to assess the challenges physicians face, and provides the best solutions, be they cardiac implants minimal invasive devices or other products and services ranging from diagnosis to electrotherapy and vascular intervention or therapy management. Quality, innovation, and reliability define BIOTRONIK and its growing success, and deliver confidence and peace of mind to physicians and their patients worldwide.

Media enquires: Amela Malja, Director Marketing Communications, BIOTRONIK GmbH & Co. KG, Woermannkehre 1, D-12359 Berlin, Germany, Tel: +49(0)30-68905-1400, Email: amela.malja@biotronik.com; Pamela Hyman, Senior Director Global Marketing & Education, Cardiac Rhythm Management, BIOTRONIK GmbH & Co. K, Woermannkehre 1, D-12359 Berlin, Germany, Tel: +49(0)30-68905-1670, Email: pamela.hyman@biotronik.com