Bardy Diagnostics, Inc
The Cornerstone of Arrhythmia Monitor Evolution

In the pursuit to continually improve patient care, Gust Bardy, MD naturally extended his talents beyond cardiac medicine to become an inventor, a serial entrepreneur, and a public health researcher. Adorned with these illustrious feathers in his cap, Bardy continues to address outstanding frustrations in the cardiology community, more recently the lack of adequate clinical innovation in arrhythmia monitoring and detection. “In his years of clinical experience, Bardy found that most cardiac monitors could not provide him with the level of ECG signal clarity he required to appropriately identify the P-wave, the small-amplitude waveform of the ECG that is essential to accurately diagnosing arrhythmia in his patients,” recalls Jon Hunt, PhD, CEO of Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. As a result, Hunt and Bardy founded Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. to completely redesign an arrhythmia monitor with optimal signal detection, patient comfort, and ease of use.

Today, the firm offers an innovative, state-of-the-art heart monitor known as the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor (CAM)™ that can be worn comfortably and discreetly for up to seven days. The device is worn to detect cardiac rhythm disorders that can be responsible for uncomfortable sensations in the chest (palpitations), lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of consciousness (syncope), difficulty in breathing, limited exercise capacity, chest pain, and cardiac arrest. What makes the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor unique is its patented P-wave-centric™ detection technology. The optimal ‘P-wave sensing’ is enabled through an integrated and scalable architecture that is designed to drastically improve visualization of the P-wave, as well as the equally important ventricular R-wave signal. “Our system is designed to look for the P-waves, which is actually part and parcel of the hardware architecture of the device and does not rely on back-end software algorithm enhancements, like many current devices available,” mentions Hunt.

The CAM’s two-piece disposable patch design provides convenient and efficient office management—no longer do patients have to wait for an available Holter monitor (a common issue in cardiac diagnostic practices).

Our system is designed to look for the P-waves, which is actually part and parcel of the hardware architecture

In addition, the monitor has been designed with the patient in mind, particularly with its unique, narrow, hourglass shape that is especially advantageous for the female anatomy. The Carnation device is easily positioned on the patient’s sternum, directly over their heart to ensure the best ECG signal collection. Hunt mentions that due to the device’s straightforward and patient-friendly design, it has been well-received by both physicians and patients alike, especially those who have used a Holter monitor in the past. As Dr. Gene Trobaugh, Cardiologist, from Enumclaw, WA—one of the many satisfied clients of the CAM—points out, “The simplicity of the Carnation monitor is especially important to me and to many of my elderly patients.”

The device’s focus on the P-wave offers a majorly innovative tool for cardiologists and cardiac rhythm specialists for accurately diagnosing arrhythmias and providing clinical support through a summarized executive review report centered on actionable cardiac events. In addition, the company provides maximum flexibility for its customers to either perform their own analysis or have Bardy Diagnostics technicians analyze the patient data.

The firm has seen significant adoption in the electrophysiology and general cardiology space and is also gaining traction in the pediatric, primary care, emergency medicine, and neurology spaces because of the product’s simple design. Hunt believes that a very creative engineering group, an experienced management team and board of directors, and a group of professional investors are proving to be the firm’s major differentiating factors. Having successfully designed the cardiac arrhythmia monitor, the firm continues to expand their operations both in the U.S. and Europe.