Interview – Sami Gaber, specialist in general medicine
Sami Gaber, specialist in general medicine, shares how Cortrium integrates seamlessly into his fully digital practice, delivering high-quality, human-verified ECG reports. Reliable, intuitive, and trusted, Cortrium helps him focus on what matters most — patient care.
How did you first become aware of Cortrium?
I had been aware of Cortrium for some time and had seen your solutions in several contexts. When we began developing our digital practice concept, Cortrium stood out as a natural fit, so I reached out.
You mentioned having a “digital practice.” What does that mean in your daily work?
Our practice is built around a fully digital, end-to-end workflow designed specifically for GP practices. Medical, technical, and economic processes are integrated into one standardized system, creating a single source of truth for the entire patient journey.
All staff document and access patient data in the same system, which improves collaboration and efficiency. Patients can register, check in, access newspapers, and find their assigned consultation room digitally.
For physicians and nurses, the entire workflow is visible in one platform. We can track patient progress, view health data in graphical form, and see suggested assessments or treatment options. The goal is simple: reduce administrative work so physicians can spend more time with patients.
How do Cortrium’s products fit into this approach?
As a physician, finding time for thorough ECG analysis can be very challenging. Cortrium addresses this effectively through a seamless process, with reports consistently delivered within 48 hours.
That reliability allows me to focus fully on patient care. The solution integrates naturally into my daily routine without adding unnecessary steps.
What is the single biggest benefit of Cortrium’s solution?
Ease of use, for both patients and physicians.
Patients simply press a button when symptoms occur, and with the C3w’s waterproof design, they can wear it continuously, even while showering. From the clinical side, I appreciate being able to connect the device and immediately confirm in the app that recording has started.
The report structure is also excellent. Having a clear summary on the first page gives me a quick overview before reviewing detailed examples.
What feedback have you received from patients using the C3w?
Only positive feedback and no complaints!
How do you perceive Cortrium as a partner?
Highly trustworthy and reliable. I genuinely feel special as a customer due to the ongoing dialogue between us and Cortrium.
Customer support is easy to reach, fast, and effective. This is especially important during consultations, where immediate assistance can make a real difference.
What would you say to physicians hesitant about adopting new technology?
Technology should solve real problems—not add complexity. The best solutions integrate so smoothly into daily work that they almost go unnoticed, while still improving efficiency.
Cortrium fits that model well. Nurses, who are the primary users, find the system intuitive and easy to adopt, making it an excellent example of technology done right.
If you recommended us to a colleague, what would you highlight first?
Two things stand out:
1) The high quality of the reports, with very few artifacts
2) The speed of report delivery. Additionally, the browser-based system is simple, flexible, and easy to use.
Interview – Senior Consultant in Cardiology Christian Lange
Christan Lange is a Senior Consultant in Cardiology and long-time user of Cortrium’s C3+ and his clinic has more than 20 devices. Below he describes his experiences, how it saves them time, and the patients’ experiences of wearing the device. You can red more about him after the article.
When did you first hear about Cortrium’s products?
In 2017, I was in Barcelona for the annual ESC congress, and I was looking for new equipment in the exhibition area. The equipment we had was complex to use, often broke, had bad design and cables, and I was not happy about it. Then I met Erik S. Poulsen, the Co-founder of Cortrium, and saw the very first prototype.
I thought it looked good and asked if I could be the first to try it when it was ready. So, during 2018, when it was launched, we got the first 3-4 devices and have been using them ever since. Today, we have more than 20 devices.
How do you consider the quality of Cortrium’s reports?
I think it is a good report. In the summary I get a good overview with average heart rate, maximum heart rate, and examples of arrhythmias, and you always find arrhythmias. In my opinion, all of this shows the cardiac expertise behind Cortrium’s reports and service. The report provides a quick overview, and it does not take long to go through it.
One small thing that makes a big difference is the extra feature marking new reports, because we have 12-14 reports on the screen at a time, so it makes it easy to see which reports we have seen, and which are new.
If I were to mention a weak point, I can only comment on what I see. I do not know what I do not see. But I have a lot of confidence in the reports, and in my experience, they are very good and very reliable, both summaries and strips. In addition, there is quality in the reports, and it creates trust so I feel I can trust it and I have full confidence that what I see is what is found in the report.
What is the biggest benefit of Cortrium’s C3+?
The most important thing to us is of course patient compliance and the quality of the reports.
As time, and especially my time, is our most scarce resource, saving time is insanely important. Working with Cortrium and the C3+ does that, which we are very happy for.
It was not long ago that ECG reports were reviewed manually, which I used to do myself and some hospitals still do. Back then you spent at least half an hour reviewing an ECG report, taking notes, rewinding back and forth and it was very time consuming.
Additionally, it saves time that our skilled medical students review the report and assess if it is within the normal acceptable range. In any case with the slightest doubt, we look at it together, but they take care of half of the reports and answer the patient, so it works well and that saves me time too.
Why do patients consult you and how long do they wear the C3+ monitor?
80% of our patients are referred from public healthcare and then we have an increasing number who pay themselves or have a health insurance. In terms of patients, I see the whole spectrum. Heart palpitations that many patients come with are very common, and about 25% of our first-time patients come because of this.
For long-term ECG monitoring, I decide the time is needed when I sit with the patients, and it is driven by the frequency of symptoms. If they have eight events a day, we can do 24 hours, but that is rare. If symptoms occur once a week, we measure for longer periods, typically three – four days.
What are your experiences using Cortrium’s products and services?
I use the product all the time, and it really helps me to get a quick idea of what is going on with my patients.
More than 50% of patients are referred because of some kind of anxiety. So, it is important to tell the patient that you understand their concern, and that you can see what they feel is real, but also in some cases that it is not serious or harmless. In such cases, they almost fly out the door and are no longer worried, so it improves their quality of life. As healthcare professionals, we are not only saving lives, but giving the patient quality of life.
In more serious cases, the C3+ gives me a quick and quality overview of what is going on with a patient’s heart, allowing me to treat the patient accordingly. For instance, when I see episodes of tachycardia, I know that we need to start medication and the patient often feels better. Or in examples of extreme tachycardia in the rhythm, the diagnosis is that a pacemaker is needed, and we have experienced this several times. In any case, speed and quality is critical to my patients and I, and that is what I feel we get with the C3+ and the reports.
With the report you can also show what the heart rhythm looks like to the patient, and images can be valuable. I have never had any 100% normal reports back, because they do not exist and none of us have a day or night without a rhythm disturbance. And I can show that to the patient and reassure them or catch atrial fibrillation that could have developed. We have caught many previously unknown atrial fibrillations, so there is no doubt that we have prevented many blood clots in the head on that basis.
What do patients say about the C3+?
We get great feedback when patients see it. Over and over again, they say, “wow it is elegant and so small”. People always say, “I thought I would need to wear a big monitor with cables” like the ECG monitors they have heard of or have worn in the hospital. So, they appreciate that we have monitors that are small, elegant and cablefree. They are impressed by how lightweight it is, and often forget they are wearing it. It is also a common comment that it has a nice design, and it is neat and “pretty cool”.
What would you say if a colleague asked you if you would recommend working with Cortrium?
I would certainly recommend so. For why, I would say high quality, both of device and service and it is the core value in everything I do. It is the keyword that here at the clinic we provide high quality, and that of course also applies to the equipment we use. Of course, it is an investment, but I consider it to be a valuable investment.
About Christian Lange
Consultant, specialising in heart disease with extensive training and experience in the treatment of high blood pressure, acute and chronic chest pain, heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. For several years, Christian Lange has served as chief physician and consultant in cardiological departments at Danish and foreign hospitals. He has a special interest in the prevention of atherosclerosis and early detection and treatment of risk factors for the development of blood clots.
Interview – Cardiologist Michael Krumm
In this interview Michael Krumm describes how easy it is to work with Cortrium’s products and services. More specifically, he explains how the ECG reports save time and resources in his practice, while providing examples of how the workload is considerably reduced today.
Why did you choose to work with Cortrium?
When looking for a new Holter system, various products were presented to us. Cortrium seemed special in terms of set-up and
convenience. Also, the service with verification of the reports is key in saving time for the medical resources in our practices.
Another reason is also the comfort for the patients as the device is cable free, and everyone is amazed about how small it is. Performing
recording for up to 7 days is so uncomplicated and allows patients to continue their everyday life without any limitations. Those were the
key reasons I would say.
What is most important to you regarding the ECG reports?
The report is easy to read, coherent and logical. I would like to emphasize the great presentation, the information in percentages, e.g. how
many ventricular extrasystoles were recorded, how many atrial fibrillation phases or similar occurred during the recording period. For me, I
do not think it could be presented in a better way.
What is your impression of Cortrium’ s products and services?
I have a positive impression, because our medical assistants set up the devices so quickly and easily. It is 80% faster now compared to
before, and the verified ECG reports have also significantly reduced our time spent on analysis and reporting.
We receive the ECG reports quickly, and they are comprehensive. Even if we attach the device for several days, I get a complete
evaluation of the arrhythmias present over the days and so far, I have not found any errors in the reports.
Additionally, the Customer Care team is available daily in the event of a fault. With other companies, it took longer if we had problems with a
device and we sometimes waited a week for a replacement, which was complicated when the practice was fully booked for long-term ECG.
What do your patients say after having worn the monitor?
In general patients are happy about wearing it, and it does not bother them wearing the monitor. I have just received few comments on the skin contact of the electrodes, because it needs to stick properly for optimal recording so new and fresh electrodes are required, and remember to shave men with hairy chests, but this goes for all long-term monitors.
If the patient shower and takes off the device, it is about instructing them on how to do it, but it is quite easy so just inform them what the blinking means and let them know if any challenges they can consult you. It is easy to wear for them and easy to place on patients – you can actually do it while you talk with the patient.
Where do Cortrium’ s software and device stand out to you?
I must admit that I rarely look at the software because the ECG reports Cortrium delivers are so good. Once I have looked at the report
and everything is correct, I do not look into the software anymore. Even though I rarely use the Apex software, it is easy to use and look at.
The stylish design of the hardware stands out. This lightweight device is discrete under clothing and women can also wear it well. It really
stands out from other products.
The difference to conventional devices lies in the convenience of putting them on and taking them off, and in the charging techniques.
Have you had any feedback from patients about the C3⁺ monitor?
We have had only positive feedback from patients. They are happy that the devices are so small and cablefree. They report that they can
sleep well at night and move normally without any problems, which delights them.
How is it for your staff to prepare patients and place the C3⁺?
We used to perform 10 long-term ECGs per day. Today, we can do 20 per day still spending less time than before.
Now the nurses only need a few minutes to explain everything to the patient, attach the device and send the patient home. We used to spend 10-15 minutes, but now it is done in only 2-3 minutes.
What is most important to you among the products and services Cortrium offer?
For me as a doctor, the verified evaluation of the ECG reports is the most important thing. This is what is most relevant to all colleagues in the practice, as we have many devices in circulation. I used to analyse 6 long-term ECG reports an hour and sat here for ages in the evenings analysing ECG reports. When the other doctors were on holiday, 100 long-term ECG reports quickly piled up, so you can imagine how long I sat here on Saturdays to analyse all the long-term ECG reports. Today, of course, it is incredibly fast, so I no longer work on Saturdays.
Today, I still have a pile of them on my desk, but now I look at the report, enter the patient number and then I can already see if the patient has e.g. atrial fibrillation or not. It takes very few minutes, which means I need something like half an hour for 15-20 long-term ECG reports. In the past, it would have taken me 3 hours.
You have already mentioned the summary of the reports. Do you look at the whole report?
I look through every page. As a doctor, I am responsible for the patient’s treatment. The first page gives me a good overview, and I then dive into the details to understand the patient’s heart health better. That is why I look at the selected examples, and of course, I look at the pauses as well as the documented short supraventricular tachycardias or couplets and triplets. The report is clean and well summarized, and the mention of minimum and maximum heart rate is great. And it is quick to go through.
About Michael Krumm
He is a Cardiologist and has been working since 2001 at the renowned MVZ Ambulantes Kardiologisches Zentrum Peine GmbH, which is part of the GIG (Gesellschaft für Integrierte Gesundheitsversorgung) network. He has been working with Cortrium products and services for 1.5 years. The GIG network consists of 35 practices located in different regions of Germany.
Interview – Cardiologist Jannik Pallisgaard
In this interview Cardiologist Jannik Pallisgaard, talks about his experience working with Cortrium’s products and what he considers important when choosing which long-term ECG monitor to use. Further he elaborates on a patient case and why Cortrium’s solution can make a true difference for both the public healthcare sector and patients.
How did you first learn about Cortrium’s products?
I first came across Cortrium in relation to a study conducted at Herlev hospital, Denmark. I was positively surprised about this nice product and the small size of it, so I asked around if it was as good as traditional long-term ECG monitors and this was the case. It seemed very intuitive to use, and this was also the case as I used it first time on a patient just after a brief introduction from a colleague.
How where your experience working with Cortrium?
The monitor has a cool feeling with its nice and organic design. It is easy to place on patients, and after uploading patient data you quickly get the report, which is really nice, as you in this brief period still has the patient fresh in mind. It is also great for my patients, who appreciate getting the results quickly.
What stands out to me is that Cortrium’ s ECG report has the doctors’ needs in mind. The reports are structured and clear, and you are guided to look for the most vital information. You sense an end-user has given input to the ECG reports as they are easy to use and interpret. It also hit me that if I were to open my own practice one day I would certainly choose Cortrium.
What would you rank as the most important aspect about Cortrium’s products?
I would state that the ease of use is key. I would even say it is so easy to use that it could be sent directly home to patients for them to set up and activate themselves. Then the patient could return the device and the procedure could take place without any staff. For sure a Cardiologist needs to interpret the findings in the report, and ensure the right treatment is initiated if required, but you could save resources that could be used better. It would then be timesaving especially in hospitals where they lack nurses if patients could manage it themselves – it would be preferable in my opinion.
What do your patients say after having worn the monitor?
In general patients are happy about wearing it, and it does not bother them wearing the monitor. I have just received few comments on the skin contact of the electrodes, because it needs to stick properly for optimal recording so new and fresh electrodes are required, and remember to shave men with hairy chests, but this goes for all long-term monitors.
If the patient shower and takes off the device, it is about instructing them on how to do it, but it is quite easy so just inform them what the blinking means and let them know if any challenges they can consult you. It is easy to wear for them and easy to place on patients – you can actually do it while you talk with the patient.
Any patient case you would find particularly worth mentioning?
I had a case with a patient who fainted and was taken to intensive care. He came to the private clinic for further examination and told me that he had probably not told the full history of his symptoms, so they only monitored him shortly. I placed the Cortrium monitor on for 7 days, and found some pauses in the cardiac rhythm, which indicated more examinations were required. In the end, the public hospital gave him a loop recorder, and it was the findings of the 7 days recording that convinced them it was necessary.
About Jannik Pallisgaard
He earned his Medical Doctor degree in 2011 and a PhD in 2017, both from the University of Copenhagen. In 2023, he achieved the cardiologist title. His career in hospitals includes roles at North Zealand, Bispebjerg, Herlev, Gentofte, and Rigshospitalet in Denmark. Further he is Author and Co-Author for plus 60 peer reviewed studies and supervised on several PhDs. Currently he is working as a private consulting cardiologist with his own company JP Cardiology, working at Bright Bird in Skodsborg, Privathospitalet Danmark in Charlottenlund and Mølholm in Copenhagen.
Unified Efforts for Enhanced Detection and Prevention of Heart Diseases
The collaboration between healthcare innovators Cardisio and Cortrium took its first step with a joint presence at the ESC Congress in Amsterdam. These two companies have come together to provide cutting-edge, high-precision solutions for detecting heart diseases and arrhythmias, ultimately supporting healthcare professionals in cardiac diagnosis.
Strengthening Heart Health through a Dynamic Partnership
This groundbreaking partnership offers a multitude of benefits for medical practitioners and the healthcare system as a whole. It empowers doctors with two powerful tools: Cardisio’s non-invasive screening for potential heart disease risks and Cortrium’s precise detection of various heart arrhythmias. This comprehensive approach equips healthcare providers with a faster and more accurate means of diagnosing patients’ heart conditions. Beyond the improvement in health outcomes, this collaboration also brings scalability and the potential for cost reduction in the healthcare sector through enhanced prevention.
Cardisio's Cardisiography: Revolutionizing Cardiac Care
Cardisiography stands as a pioneering advancement in cardiac care. This innovative technique harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to enable early detection of heart disease, thereby aiding in the prevention of heart attacks. The procedure is as straightforward as a traditional ECG, but its non-invasive and risk-free nature makes it considerably more reliable and informative. In Cardisiography, often referred to as “3D vector ECG,” the heart is measured in three-dimensional space, and the data obtained is meticulously assessed using a computer algorithm. This delivers physicians a precise overview of a patient’s risk of myocardial infarction within minutes.
Cortrium – long-term ECG made easy
A common challenge in the healthcare system is the extended waiting time for patients to undergo ECG tests and receive the analysis and results. Founded in 2014, Cortrium set out to create a solution for conducting and analyzing long-term ECGs to detect arrhythmias and prevent heart diseases and strokes. Their offering includes a long-term ECG solution that combines innovative hardware, advanced algorithms, in-house developed software, and cardiac specialists verification of the ECG report delivered. The C3⁺ monitor simplifies ECG recording and arrhythmia detection while seamlessly integrating into daily life. It’s a cable-free, 3 channel device weighing only 32 grams and is reusable and compatible with standard electrodes.
Enhancing the Patient Journey
Meik Baumeister, CEO and Co-founder of Cardisio, expressed, “Cardisio and Cortrium share the vision of precise preventive care that should be accessible to all, as it’s through comprehensive prevention that we can combat cardiac diseases, the leading cause of death.” Philippe Jørgensen, CEO of Cortrium, adds, “With our robust partnership, we’re committed to realizing this vision, ensuring that more heart patients receive timely diagnoses and treatment.”
Cardisio offers a swift, non-invasive assessment of heart health, allowing a quick glimpse into a patient’s cardiac condition within minutes. If any irregularities are detected during the screening, a detailed diagnosis by a cardiologist becomes the next step. In this context, a conventional long-term ECG often comes into play, with the C3⁺ monitor from Cortrium being a preferred choice due to its various advantages. Together, the solutions provided by Cardisio and Cortrium elevate cardiac prevention to new heights, promising a significant enhancement of the patient journey.
Proudly presenting our ECG analysis team
Besides using novel technology and advanced algorithms, Cortrium also rely on human specialists, which is why this team is such an important part of our service. We call them our Quality Control (QC) team.
Humans vs. algorithms
While our algorithms analyse the data, used to generate the reports, each report is thoroughly checked and verified by at least one cardiology specialist before it is delivered to our customer.
Cortrium’s QC team consists of cardiology specialists with different backgrounds, such as Cardiologist, Cardiology Nurses, Paramedic and Lab and Cardiac Technicians. They all, contribute with their cardiology experience and together they have close to 200 years of experience in this field.
Inhouse development
Additionally, Cortrium’s inhouse QC team collaborates closely with the inhouse software development team, and there are literally no barriers between ideas to development. As a result, the software development is faster and new features target healthcare professionals and their needs.
The QC team are constantly feeding back valuable knowledge and data to the software development team to improve the algorithm development for future analyses and reports.
Sparring and learning
But it is not just the algorithm and software that benefit from the vast experience in the QC team. The QC team in Cortrium has daily conferences and sparring where special cases of complex arrhythmias are discussed and evaluated by the entire team in order to develop their skills even further. As a result, complex cases and reports are often evaluated by several from the QC team before it is sent to the customer.
Passion and drivers
Important factors not to overlook are the passion and dedication which drive the QC team members in Cortrium. They all go to work every day because detecting heart arrhythmias and preventing strokes is what really motivates them – that is, being part of making ECG easy in order to benefit and support as many health care professionals as possible and ensuring each patients get the right treatment. And as our colleague Tina says: “So, in Cortrium it really isn’t Humans vs. Algorithms, but really creating a winning combination from the best of both worlds”. Because that is truly what Cortrium is about.
Cardiac arrhythmias and covid-19: the acovid-study
The novel ACOVID-study examined a relationship between COVID-19 and arrhythmias at 6 hospitals in the Greater Copenhagen area. Between 27.04.2020 and 30.07.2020, 117 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections were screened for arrhythmias using the Cortrium C3⁺ Holter Monitor. The aim of the study was to estimate the type of arrhythmias with continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Out of a final population of 54 hospitalized patients, 15 patients developed major arrhythmias (28%). They consisted mostly of supraventricular tachycardia (22%) and new-onset atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (4%).
COVID-19 patients were examined using the new, cablefree C3⁺ long-term ECG Holter Monitor from the Danish company Cortrium. The Cortrium C3⁺ is easy to attach to the patient with only three adhesive electrodes. The automated analysis of ECG data saves time for medical staff and gives a unique possibility to deliver scientific evidence without delay during. The results of the study will help guide physicians and authorities in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
The ACOVID study itself has been financially supported by Innovation Fund Denmark (www.innovationsfonden.dk).
About the study
To investigate if cardiac arrhythmias is an overlooked complication of COVID-19, Ass. prof. Dr. Morten Kjøbek Lamberts from Herlev-Gentofte Hospital (Copenhagen) in partnership with Dr. Erik S. Poulsen from Cortrium ApS (Copenhagen) conducted the study over three months in spring of 2020. The “ACOVID” study is intended to provide researchers and clinicians with explanations as to whether coronavirus has an effect on heart activity and if so, which effects.
Application of the novel C3⁺ holter monitor
The Cortrium C3⁺ Holter Monitor has been used for monitoring the patients that have been included in the study. The novel Holter Monitor does not require any wires and can be attached with standard electrodes. For the study, Ambu Blue Electrodes have been used.
The monitor was placed upon day of admission or as earliest as possible during hospital stay. It remained on until discharge, transfer to the ICU or death.
The C3⁺ is very well suited for applications with a flexible duration. Recordings can be done with a length of up to seven days and are exported to the standardised european data format (.edf), with a few simple clicks in Cortrium’s software, Cortrium Apex. Throughout other applications, Cortrium Apex also supports automated, AI supported analysis options.
Background
First reports from the initial epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China included case-series of rapid clinical deterioration of seemingly healthy individuals. Based on a cohort of 138 Chinese patients, 16.7% of patients with COVID-19 suffered from unspecified arrhythmias despite cardiac biomarkers being within normal range. In patients admitted to the ICU, arrythmias was reported in 44.4% of the patients. But, how diagnosis of arrythmias were made, was not clearly specified. Regardless of pathophysiological pathways for deterioration, of which proposed mechanisms include myocarditis, depressed cardiac function, worsening of prior cardiovascular disease or cytokine storm syndrome, one phenotypic presentation may be sudden death and arrhythmias (1).
Partners
Herlev-Gentofte University Hospital (Copenhagen)
Herlev-Gentofte Hospital houses the Copenhagen Cardiovascular Research Center focusing on nationwide register studies, large-scale clinical trials both independent and in conjunction with industry, and innovative research with emerging new technologies.
Associate Professor Morten Lamberts, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator on the ACOVID study
Morten Lamberts has a strong background within areas of pharmacoepidemiology and has increasingly focused on clinical implementable technologies. Morten Lamberts is newly appointed Innovation Ambassador at Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen.
A position that includes facilitating clinical ideas for implementation to the next stage whether it would be proof-of-concept guidance or need for support and financing opportunities. Also, bridging the gap between the academical and clinical world with other shareholders within technical universities, private companies and large foundations is a key aspect.
For questions regarding the study please contact Associate professor Morten Lamberts [[email protected], +45 38681169]
Ambu A/S
Ambu has been bringing the solutions of the future to life since 1937. Today, millions of patients and healthcare professionals worldwide depend on the efficiency, safety and performance of our single-use endoscopy, anaesthesia, and patient monitoring & diagnostics solutions.
The manifestations of our efforts have ranged from early innovations like the Ambu® Bag™ resuscitator and the Ambu® BlueSensor™ electrodes to our newest landmark solutions like the Ambu® aScope™ – the world’s first single-use flexible endoscope. Moreover, we continuously look to the future with a commitment to deliver innovative quality products that have a positive impact on the work of healthcare professionals. Headquartered near Copenhagen in Denmark, Ambu employs approximately 3,500 people in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit ambu.com or Ambu on LinkedIn
Innovation Fund Denmark
The Innovation Fund Denmark creates a good framework for entrepreneurs, researchers and companies in Denmark to develop innovative and viable solutions to the concrete challenges facing society. All projects are subject to requirements in terms of commitment, transparency, education and community ethics. More about Innovation Fund Denmark can be found at www.innovationsfonden.dk
(1) Morten Lamberts, MD, PhD; Bochra Zareini, MD, PhD; Deepthi Raja, BMSc; Mohammed El-Sheikh, BMSc; Morten Schou, MD, PhD; Gunnar Gislason, MD, PhD: Cardiac arrhythmias in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: The ACOVID-study; Published March 22, 2021, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hroo.2021.03.008
Volvo investigation of the protected top speed
VOLVO has analyzed the effects of a guaranteed top speed in its new models with the Cortrium C3⁺ Holter Monitor. The result shows that greater safety and environmental protection in no way spoils driving pleasure and leads to a lower level of stress among drivers.
The comparative runs carried out in the second half of July were carried out with the brand’s most popular model: the Volvo XC60 mid-range SUVs each used a 173 kW (235 hp) B5 AWD mild-hybrid diesel engine. The vehicle from model year 2020 still reached a top speed of 220 km/h. All new vehicles of the current model year 2021 have protection to 180 km / h regardless of the motorization.
All drivers (independent media representatives) wore a Cortrium C3⁺ Holter Monitor to measure the heart rate with medical precision.
The results of the comparative drives reflect Volvo’s expectations: the small amount of time saved was paid in part with a significant increase in fuel consumption and in part with more stress, which inevitably has a negative impact on physical and mental performance.
Reduced stress at a moderate speed
Before and after the trip, the tank fillings, consumption and driving times of the Volvo XC60 B5 Mild Hybrid Diesel AWD models were checked. The drivers were also specially prepared for the comparative runs and monitored. They were equipped with a Cortrium C3 + Holter monitor to record the heart rate, and the changes in the stress-causing messengers cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline were also analyzed using blood samples. The medical advice was given by Dr. med. Ulf T. Esser, an internist at the Cologne clinic “Links vom Rhein”.
There were no significant differences in the results of the long-term ECG recordings in all subjects. The evaluation of the stress hormones, however, showed a slight increase in the values in individual subjects in the unsecured vehicles.
“In my opinion, due to the traffic conditions on German motorways, it was not possible for drivers to permanently push the limits of the 220 km / h vehicle. In my opinion, if this had been possible, the results would have been different. I am convinced that the stress reactions would have been significantly increased, so the impact on the driver’s condition at the destination, both mentally and physically, would be more noticeable. Furthermore, you can see that long-distance journeys in a modern car are generally relaxed and safe today, ”concluded Dr. med. Ulf T. Esser.
A snapshot with a positive result
“Even if the comparative drives carried out are not representative and do not claim to be a scientific study, they still provide clear facts and figures as snapshots that once again only allow one conclusion: forward-looking, even and responsible driving increases road safety, contributes to the lower, climate-damaging CO2 emissions contribute to the sustainability of mobility and also have positive effects on the physical well-being of the driver. Risks are minimized. However, there is no negative impact on driving pleasure” explains Thomas Bauch, Managing Director of Volvo Car Germany GmbH at the end of the test.
Furthermore, he states that “If professional automobile journalists already see the differences that are used to driving long distances and that, thanks to their experience, remain routine even in critical situations, there should be even greater differences in an overall view of all road users. This confirms our opinion that protection is exactly the right, important step into the future that fits our brand perfectly.”
The new C3⁺ Holter Monitor revolutionizes the recording of long-term ECGs. With flexible arms and wireless, it is attached to the patient’s chest using standard electrodes.
Find out more about our product and contact us today.