Enabling reliable remote heart monitoring through trusted connectivity

MicroPort CardioFlow is working to improve device longevity and expand remote monitoring capabilities to maximize patient outcomes. 

From a technology perspective, this requires integrated analysis, secure data interoperability and trusted connectivity to enable proactive, real-time patient data management outside clinical settings. 

As MicroPort CardioFlow looks to add AI, dependable connectivity becomes ever more critical as the system shifts from data transmission and periodic review to a continuous, data-driven decision-making tool. When linked to other datasets, the quality of the connection to cardiac devices can dictate how well the AI performs

MicroPort CardioFlow’s approach is highlighted by its highly successful SmartView™ Connect platform, a comprehensive remote monitoring system that creates a secure data bridge between the patient’s heart and their clinician.

The device implanted in the patient uses Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with the SmartView™SmartTouch portable monitor, which has pre-installed IoT SIMs that automatically connect to the best available mobile service to send encrypted data to MicrorPort Cardio Flow’s cloud-based platform. Here, data is organized into medical insights that clinicians can view on demand via a portal. This always-on process ensures life-critical alerts, such as changes in heart patterns, reach clinicians immediately. Previously, patients had to rely on more tethered, manual devices to transmit data, limiting their freedom.

Orange's expertise in IoT and connectivity solutions has supported MicroPort CardioFlow’s cardiac devices for several years. MicroPort CardioFlow has recently extended its partnership with Orange to expand its global footprint, allowing more cardiac patients to benefit from implantable devices and personalized cardiac care.

"The number of connected patients increases by 25% every year, we are covering more and more countries in the world, so we expect Orange Business to help us in this challenge with scalable services and global coverage,” said Hervé Gaillard, Director of Software and Services, MicroPort CardioFlow.

Secure connectivity is critical in getting data from the patient’s implanted heart device to the clinician. When data is requested, the cellular module and a roaming IoT SIM in the bedside monitor immediately authenticate the connection and securely transmit the physiological and operational data harvested from the device implanted in the patient. This data is initially sent from the device to the monitor via Bluetooth®. 

MicroPort CardioFlow recently launched the SmartView Connect™ App Mobile, which enables mobile remote monitoring on the patient’s Android smartphone to provide even more convenience. 

The data is encrypted in transit, matched to the correct clinical profile, and once validated, stored in MicroPort CardioFlow’s cloud-based back-office data management system in accordance with regulatory compliance requirements. 

The data is interpreted and turned into insight reports, providing clinicians with a summary of key technical and diagnostic data via a Web portal.  Key alerts, such as abnormalities in heart rhythm or battery changes, are flagged. Orange Business trusted IoT SIM technology and connectivity are pivotal to the performance, global interoperability and security of MicroPort CardioFlow’s service.

With implanted medical devices, connectivity is a critical safety requirement. An Orange Business IoT SIM management platform in the cloud enables real-time monitoring of connectivity, SIM status and usage to always ensure reliability and security.

The system’s data storage locations, access rules and risks are formally analyzed and legally recorded, so they are transparent, enforceable and auditable. This reduces risk and creates clear accountability.

From a practical standpoint, the device implanted in the patient needs to remain seamlessly connected across jurisdictions while ensuring that data is handled in accordance with the strictest applicable privacy and healthcare regulations. The challenge is balancing continuity of care with compliance across borders, such as GDPR and the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

“We are working on a very specific business where we are handling patient’s data. So it’s super personal. We are not allowed to make mistakes. The trust lasted so long because we never failed them,” said Paul Renassia, Global Account Director, Orange Business.

The Orange Business IoT management platform can apply strict policies to route data through approved regional infrastructures, for example, ensuring encryption and dictating where data is stored. This means the patient’s device continues to work normally wherever they go, while compliance is maintained by routing data through approved regional infrastructures, ensuring encryption and verifying where data is stored, for example, alongside end-to-end security.

This trusted approach ensures that MicroPort CardioFlow can manage, store and process sensitive patient data within specific jurisdictions with confidence.