The Pacemaker's Continuing Evolution: St. Jude Looks at New Apnea Therapy

The pacemaker is the ancient warhorse of the cardiac rhythm management business--45 years old and still ticking. One reason: companies keep improving and finding new uses for it. Along with treating arrhythmias, the major CRM companies have adapted pacemakers to become part of an increasingly successful device-oriented approach to treating congestive heart failure. And now St. Jude Medical is the first CRM company to begin a clinical trial investigating whether pacemakers may be an effective treatment for sleep apnea.