Remote Transmission Issues

by marybeth5630
2011-09-27 07:09:45
Checkups & Settings
3019 views
3 comments

I got my Medtronic Sensia (sedr01) in February 2011 (for asystole). Im wondering if anyone else is having trouble with the Medtronic CareLink transmission. On three different occasions Ive tried to send my information over the phone line. The first time it took 8 tries with a Medtronic rep on the phone talking me though each time. She had me try on bare skin, through my shirt, with a washcloth under it and even with a bath towel folded over twice!! Ive put new batteries in and tried another phone jack. Every time it gets to the third green line I can feel my pacemaker kick in and then the transmission stops.
Im not new to these transmission devices. I had an implantable loop recorder for over a year and had to transmit every three months just like they want me to do now. Ive never had any problems like this before.
On a side note when they interrogate me at the clinic I can feel it from the moment they place the receiver on the pacemaker site, not just when its running its diagnostics. I had one Medtronic rep tell me that I shouldnt feel anything when they place it but I also had a different one tell me that a small amount of people can feel everything.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

3 Comments

Care Link

by ElectricFrank - 2011-09-29 02:09:16

I have a Medtronic Adapta pacer with Care Link. I'm not familiar with the Sensia series but would guess the phone link is the same technology.

With mine the phone transmission doesn't start until the complete diagnostic is done. I have had mine start beeping intermittently at about the same point that yours does, but the test completes. The Medtronic rep said to ignore the beeps and they would let me know if there was any problem in the data.

As for the feelings during either the office or Care Link test there is good reason to notice them. During various parts of the test the pacer is reprogrammed to cause heart rate changes including a low rate such as 55 bpm, a mid rate like 85 bpm, and a high rate like 99 bpm. During some of these a pacing voltage threshold is determined which involves occasional skipped beats.

It's obvious that such large changes in HR are easy to notice. As I remember it, the beeping happens during the 99 bpm segment.

Only when all this is done will the device dial the phone number and transmit the data. If you have a phone near that you can watch the light come on it is easy to see what is happening.

By the way I'm an electronic engineer and have built my own ECG to watch the operation of my pacer. That's how I found the test sequence.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask if anything is confusing.

frank

care link more info

by marybeth5630 - 2011-09-29 07:09:55

Thanks for the info Frank.
My transmission doesn't start until the data is stored either. But I can't get it complete. It's very frustrating.
Can you tell me what is happening at the third green light on the transmitter? That's when it stops every time. It doesn't shut down, but definitely stops all recording. Goes back to just the power light.

Also, after these failed transmissions I have monitored my HR and it's always very low for several hours afterward. I could feel the pacer kick in several times. I'm usually only pacing at 2-3%.

How cool that you built your own ECG!
MB

Interesting

by ElectricFrank - 2011-09-30 12:09:35

I just looked at my Care Link box and I think that is the same point where mine starts blinking the yellow warning light and beeping. Its been quite a while since I ran a test so I don't remember what is happening for sure.

I just looked at my ecg from the last test. Here is the way mine goes:
0-47 seconds: Records normal ECG. For me that is AS-VP 100% with a couple of PVC's thrown in.

48-75 seconds: AP-VP 85 bpm. During this time the atrial pacing voltage and then the ventricle pacing voltage is varied.

76-77 seconds: Pacing returns to normal with one beat at 60bpm followed by one beat at 75 bpm

78-81 seconds:AP-VP for 6 beats at 100 bpm.

82-144 seconds (end): Records normal pacing.

AP= Atrial Pacing; VP=Ventricular Pacing

One thought I've had is some sort of interference. There is a high tension electric power line near the front of our house. Maybe one of these days when I'm driving out to the desert away from everything I'll do a dummy test where I just don't hook it to the phone line. Be interesting to see if the errors happen.

frank

You know you're wired when...

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