The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, an international leader in cardiovascular research, has announced the online publication of a study in EP Europace that raises serious concerns about St. Jude Medical defibrillator leads. The study found that a new copolymer of silicone and polyurethane (Optim™) might not prevent insulation abrasions that can result in electronic malfunction. The paper is authored by Foundation researchers Robert Hauser, Raed Abdelhadi, Deepa McGriff and Linda Retel, and it is another in a series of Foundation publications that have reported significant problems with defibrillator leads, including recalled Riata and Riata ST leads from St. Jude Medical (SJM).
