A ground-breaking B.C.-led study will change how atrial fibrillation – a common heart rhythm problem – is treated in the province. After five years of rigorous research, learn how this new study will help improve quality of life for cardiac patients. ​For some people, atrial fibrillation feels like you have a fish flopping in your chest. For others, this common heart rhythm problem feels like a fast, pounding heartbeat, a tight chest, dizziness, weakness or anxiety. Some might not feel anything at all. Although people’s experiences are very different, the underlying health risks of atrial fibrillation remain the same, and include reduced quality of life, and increased risk of stroke or heart failure. Now, we have new evidence for how to better treat atrial fibrillation early, safely and effectively, thanks to findings from a recent B.C.-based study led by Jason Andrade, Cardiac Services BC’s medical chair, B.C. Cardiovascular Disease Network for heart rhythm disease.  To mark Heart Month in February, learn more about the links between clinical research and health system excellence. Providing a more complete picture of cardiac care When this study started in 2015, there wasn’t clear evidence on how catheter ablation compared to medications as an initial treatment for atrial...

Recent findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine, highlight the success of the CANet-funded project, ‘Early Invasive vs. Delayed Intervention for Atrial Fibrillation (EARLY-AF).’ Outcomes indicate that cryoballoon ablation was associated with significant improvement over antiarrhythmic drugs as a first-line intervention in preventing atrial fibrillation (AF) events. EARLY-AF is one of several CANet-funded projects aimed at reducing AF-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in Canada. Centering on evaluating the impact of the early invasive management of atrial fibrillation (AF), the EARLY-AF pan-Canadian study included 303 patients with treatment-naive, symptomatic AF who were randomly assigned early surgical intervention (first-line ablation) or an antiarrhythmic drug. EARLY-AF used implantable loop recorders to monitor for atrial arrhythmia in both groups, who were enrolled a median of 1 year after diagnosis. The first-line cryoballoon ablation procedure uses a radiofrequency transseptal needle, made by Baylis Medical, and a cryoballoon ablation catheter, made by Medtronic, to destroy tiny areas in the heart that cause rapid and irregular heartbeats. “The key results of the study highlight that an early, first-line ablation approach, was associated with a significant reduction in all arrhythmia endpoints,” said CANet Investigator Dr. Jason Andrade, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. “Specifically, we observed reductions in...

TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2020 /CNW/ – Clearbridge Mobile is proud to have played a vital role in assisting the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet) launch, VIRTUES, an online web-based application developed to reduce emergency department visits and improve COVID-19 patient-driven care. With many of Canada’s telehealth solutions under tremendous strain due to the pandemic, the need for a digital solution was inevitable and presented a fantastic opportunity for both organizations to partner and collectively support Canadian citizens and frontline healthcare professionals. With a proven track record of meeting aggressive timelines, previous experience working with enterprises in the healthcare sector across Canada and the United States, and industry-specific expertise in mobile and web app development, partnering with Clearbridge Mobile was an obvious choice for this project. “As a made-in-Canada solution, partnering with a local North American vendor was extremely important to us,” says CANet CEO and Scientific Director Dr. Anthony Tang. “This ensured we would have unrestricted access to their team of experts whenever needed, and allowed for open and transparent communication. Clearbridge Mobile was very customer-centric and dedicated to a refined process that helped us achieve success in launching this app.” The web-app launched within its four-week deadline and...

Patients are now being enrolled in the COVID-19 Virtual Care at Home study from the Urgent COVID-19 Care Clinic at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in London, Ontario. This research study through Lawson Health Research Institute, the research arm of LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, implements and evaluates a virtual, patient-centered platform created by CANet to guide COVID-19 positive patients with out-of-hospital management at home in their communities. VIRTUES COVID-19 is an online web-based application developed to reduce emergency department visits and improve COVID-19 patient care and satisfaction. With VIRTUES, patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 will have the ability to manage their care remotely with a multidisciplinary, inter-professional approach (Allied Health, Cardiology, Emergency Department, General Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Neurology, and Respirology). “The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of global virtual healthcare,” says Dr. Anthony Tang, CEO and Scientific Director, CANet. “Our goal is to deliver a model of virtual care, supported by technology solutions. Solutions that will monitor the patients at home, thereby improving access to care, improve quality of care, and reduce the stress of patients infected by COVID-19.” As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, CANet took decisive action to adapt the VIRTUES digital health...

Media Release For Immediate Release September 9, 2020   LONDON, ONTARIO– A research study from the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet) and Lawson Health Research Institute is testing the use of a new online patient care platform designed to help track symptoms for COVID-19 positive patients. Patients are now being enrolled in the study from the Urgent COVID-19 Care Clinic at London Health Sciences Centre. This virtual clinic helps identify, triage, monitor and manage potential complications for people recovering from COVID-19 at home. Patients can self-monitor their health with ongoing access to virtual physician support. The COVID-19 Virtual Care at Home research study is testing the use of VIRTUES (Virtual Integrated Reliable Transformative User-Driven E-health System), a virtual, patient-centred platform created by CANet to help guide COVID-19 positive patients in managing their illness. They will have remote access to a team of health care providers including those specialized in the fields of cardiology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, infectious disease, neurology and respirology. “Using VIRTUES, the care team can monitor a range of symptoms remotely that tells us a lot about how the patient is doing. In addition to tracking their temperature, we are using a home-based pulse oximeter to measure pulse rate and oxygen saturation,” says project co-lead Dr. Marko Mrkobrada, LHSC physician and Lawson...

TORONTO, ONTARIO – July 6th, 2020 – Drone Delivery Canada Corp. (TSXV: FLT;   OTC: TAKOF;  Frankfurt:  A2AMGZ or ABB.F) (the “Company” or “DDC”) is pleased to announce that on June 26th, 2020 it successfully completed Phase Two of its AED (Automated External Defibrillator) On The Fly project with Peel Region Paramedics and Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine. Building on the success of Phase One of the study, the Company was able to demonstrate ease of use of its AED drone solution when provided to community responders in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario. The testing further validates that using DDC’s proprietary drone delivery platform with cargo drop functionality to deliver rapid first responder technology via drone may reduce response time to cardiac arrest patients in the field while being utilized by lay responders. On June 26th, 2019, the Company had announced a 100% successful Phase One of the project.  Phase Two utilized the Sparrow, with the new cargo drop capability and a new audio announcement system, to drop an AED where a designated lay bystander would then retrieve the AED and apply it to a simulated cardiac arrest patient in a rural environment.  Multiple pairs of lay bystanders and simulated cardiac arrest patients...

London, ON, May 12, 2020 ⁠— CANet is pleased to announce its renewed federal funding of $15.7 million over three years (totalling $42 million for 2014-23) from the Networks of Excellence of Canada (NCE). With over $46+ million in matching funds from partners to date, this support will enable our network to continue its digital transformation activities, technology development and commercialization, and advancements in arrhythmia research. A patient-driven network, CANet has provided research funding through several granting programs designed to impact the lives of people living with arrhythmias.  Through the network’s investments, CANet Investigators have: Developed a cloud-based, secured, virtual care platform, VIRTUES (Virtual Integrated Reliable Transformative User-Driven E-Health System), which is being used in clinical research to show its usability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Collaborated with Baylis Medical to develop a new transseptal system for patients suffering from heart failure, which is now in production with clearance from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Collaborated with Drone Delivery Canada for the implementation of drone delivery of automated external defibrillators (AED’s) in rural areas. Developed a catheter contact-force controller (CFC) device that adjusts the catheter position and contact force which will significantly improve ablation procedures. Developed the Canadian...

Halifax, NS, May 11, 2020 – Remote Patient Management for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (RPM-CIED), a national randomized controlled study, consisting of over two-thousand patients in 12 sites across Canada, has launched in Calgary, AB, Halifax, NS, Kitchener, ON, and Quebec City, QC. This program focuses on patient care with remote management of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) and pacemakers and the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of CANet’s VIRTUES care platform. VIRTUES will facilitate the remote-only environment of this study. Approximately 120,000 Canadian patients live with either a pacemaker or ICD. These patients are required to visit a cardiac device clinic at least once a year. The unmet need for patients with ICD’s and pacemakers to improve follow up methods outside of a clinical environment was recognized before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “In our pilot work, we found that a remote-only approach was safe and feasible. We also found that 91% of patients desire communication from their clinic regarding their device,” says Dr. Ratika Parkash, CANet Network Investigator, Electrophysiologist at Halifax’s QEII Health Sciences Centre, and Professor at Dalhousie University. “This is not currently happening in the majority of clinics in Canada, “she adds. Although remote monitoring for CIEDs has been...

Toronto ON, December 16, 2019 – With the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet®) group of investigators leading ground-breaking arrhythmia health research and technology advancements, our Network is challenging startups to highlight their innovations at the inaugural CANet® Shift competition. Here’s your opportunity to showcase your innovation and win $200,000! Canadian health technology startups will go head-to-head, showcasing their technology during the CANet® Annual Public Forum at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, ON, on February 4, 2020. Three video submission finalists will be selected to present their innovations and ground-breaking solutions, in a 5-minute pitch, to our group of renowned researchers, industry leaders, venture capitalists, and, most importantly, our patient-filled audience. Does your startup have what it takes? “With the prominent growth of Digital Health innovations and its impact on healthcare, it is imperative to propel technologies that support and saves patients’ lives,” says Dr. Anthony Tang, CEO and Scientific Director, CANet. “Our goals align with supporting technology advancements surrounding arrhythmia research and management to provide efficient and effective patient-focused care.” Visit www.canetshift.com to submit your application and learn more about this exciting event. The deadline for the CANet® Shift applications closes on January 17, 2020.   About CANet®...

TORONTO, NOVEMBER 5, 2019 – A randomized controlled trial has found that use of Baylis Medical’s NRG® Transseptal Needle results in shorter time in achieving transseptal access, less transseptal attempts, and reduced exposure to radiation, compared to use of a conventional transseptal needle. The study, entitled Randomized Trial of Conventional Versus Radiofrequency Needle Transseptal Puncture for Cryoballoon Ablation (the CRYO-LATS Study), was presented at the recent Transcatheter Therapeutics Conference (TCT) in San Francisco, by Dr. Jason Andrade, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Vancouver General Hospital. The study was a multicenter prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT), in which 135 patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent pulmonary vein isolation using a novel large bore cryoballoon system. Researchers performed a transseptal puncture using either a conventional transseptal needle requiring mechanical force to cross the septum, or the NRG needle, which uses radiofrequency (RF) energy for crossing. Researchers found that the median transseptal puncture time using the NRG needle was significantly shorter. Further, use of the NRG needle resulted in fewer attempts to puncture the septum than with the conventional needle. Researchers also observed a trend for lower exposure to radiation for the patient and catheterization lab staff in cases...