Medtronic's Reveal XT subcutaneous cardiac monitor is now commercially available in the U.S. The company introduced Reveal XT in Europe in July of 2007. The device helps physicians diagnose heart arrhythmias by monitoring the remotely and also captures an electrocardiogram (ECG) during asymptomatic episodes to better diagnose difficult cases. The Reveal XT communicates wirelessly with a pager-like device that the patient wears. The information is then routed from that device to the physician's computer.

The Reveal XT is inserted just under the skin of the chest area in a short outpatient procedure. To store an ECG, the patient places a handheld, pager-sized assistant over the device and presses a button. The information is then transferred to a physician's computer via the Medtronic CareLink Network or the physician can retrieve the data during an in-office visit.

The Reveal XT is intended for patients with suspected arrhythmias and difficult-to-diagnose patients for whom long-term cardiac rhythm trending data may lead to a more informed diagnosis. Medtronic says the device can also aid physicians in detecting the presence of atrial arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms in the upper chambers), including asymptomatic episodes, or to monitor the amount of time a patient is in atrial fibrillation (AF).

Subcutaneous cardiac monitors are intended to put no restrictions on a patient's daily activities, making the necessary monitoring more comfortable for the patient but also ensures that the data is not being influenced by restrictions in activities.