Make defibrillator batteries last longer, Minneapolis study urges firms

[Pioneer Press, April 06, 2011] Patients are living longer than ever with implantable defibrillators, so the Minnesota companies that make the devices should develop longer-lasting batteries. Those conclusions come from a study presented this week at a scientific meeting in New Orleans by Dr. Robert Hauser and colleagues at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. The researchers found the typical defibrillator patient now lives more than seven years with each device.

Hauser, one of the nation's leading authorities on the safety of implantable defibrillators, questioned why manufacturers have not developed rechargeable batteries for the devices. Read the story at twincities.com.