Biotronik Reports First-in-Human Implants of LivIQ Leadless Pacemaker

Biotronik announced the successful first-in-human implants of its LivIQ leadless pacemaker system, part of the BIO|CONCEPT.LivIQ premarket study to evaluate the system’s preliminary safety and performance.

LivIQ, according to the company, is the world’s first intracardiac pacemaker to use atrial electrical far-field sensing. It allows atrioventricular (AV)-synchronous pacing at rest and during exercise with a single cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED).

Its design simplifies implantation via intuitive handling and better procedural visibility. The system was designed to offer reliable rate adaptation without compromising device longevity.

The initial procedures were performed in Australia by Dr. Paul Gould at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane as well as Dr. Stewart Healy and Dr. Emily Kotschet at Victorian Heart Hospital in Melbourne.

“I was extremely impressed with how easy the delivery system was to use,” Dr. Gould said. “It enables accurate and stable positioning with an added ability to simply reposition if required.” Dr. Healy and Dr. Kotschet emphasized the periprocedural visibility of both the device and delivery system, adding that “Biotronik put a lot of thought into this. The visibility of the tines and the tether are excellent. The delivery system is intuitive, and easy to use.”

Leadless pacing is being adopted more frequently to reduce complications related to traditional transvenous systems, like lead-related issues and infection risks. The LivIQ system aims to combine these benefits with advanced functionality.

“We plan to move into the global pivotal study in the coming months,” said Andreas Hecker, chief technology officer at Biotronik. “Introducing DX technology to leadless pacing represents a major step forward in bradycardia therapy, and we are excited to bring it to patients worldwide soon.”