Living with an insertable heart monitor
Common questions
Scroll down for frequently asked questions about LINQ™ insertable heart monitors (ICM). For additional questions, visit HeartDeviceAnswers.com and explore commonly asked questions about life with an implanted heart device.
Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and the risks and benefits of long-term heart monitoring.
Take the MyCareLink™ monitor (bedside unit) with you — just remember to place it close to where you’ll sleep, in a location that receives an adequate cellular signal. You won’t have to worry about roaming fees but, if changing time zones, you may want to contact your clinic to see if any changes should be made to your monitoring schedule before you leave.
The MyCareLink™ patient monitor works automatically to send your heart data and to make software updates. Make sure you keep it plugged in so nothing is missed.
If the MyCareLink™ patient monitor screen is dark, press the gray button just once to view the start-up screen. The date shown is the day of your last successful transmission. Occasionally, a day may be missed if, for example, you walked away from bed during a regularly scheduled transmission. Don’t worry, the system will try to send that data again for 14 days. If it’s been several days since your last transmission, take another look at your setup guidelines to make sure it’s set up as described.
You don’t need to do anything. Your patient monitor is checking for software updates and will cycle through them on its own.
For more frequently asked questions about your beside unit for the Reveal LINQ™ ICM, click here:
For troubleshooting your beside unit for the Reveal LINQ™ ICM, click here:
Medtronic may send a text message to your cellphone from 844-979-1188 (do not call or reply to this number; it is a one-way text message only).
Your doctor would like to use this text message to check if your smartphone is compatible with the MyCareLink Heart™ mobile app to monitor your Medtronic heart device.
You will receive two text messages with the following links:
First, click on the screening instructions link to watch a quick two-minute video to learn how to determine if your phone is compatible with the MyCareLink Heart™ mobile app. Once you’ve watched the screening instructions video, click on the second link to run the compatibility check.
Remember, any new heart information will be sent automatically. Follow the app conditions for use:
- Your phone or tablet is with you periodically throughout the day
- Phone/tablet is ON
- Bluetooth®* is ON
- App is open in the background or foreground
- Phone/tablet is within five feet of the ICM
- Phone/tablet has internet or Wi-Fi connectivity
- App notifications are turned ON
You can also open your app to view the connectivity status at the top of the screen for connectivity confirmation. Reference your MyCareLink Heart™ patient guide for additional information.
Take your heart data transmitter (mobile app or bedside unit) with you. Follow previously highlighted monitor conditions for use to ensure connectivity.
For the home communicator: You won’t have to worry about roaming fees, but if changing time zones, you may want to contact your clinic before leaving to see if any changes should be made to your monitoring schedule and to stay connected to your clinic.
The light ring turns dark when the room is dark; it is still working. Reference the MyCareLink Relay™ Home Communicator Quick Start Guide for additional information.
Remember, any new heart information will be sent automatically. Follow the communicator conditions for use to make sure you are constantly connected and monitored:
- The communicator is within 10 feet of where you sleep.
- The power adapter is plugged into the communicator and outlet.
- The communicator is on and working when the light ring is solid green.
Note: The light ring turns dark when the room is dark; it is still working. Reference the MyCareLink Relay™ Home Communicator Quick Start Guide for additional information.
Developing best practices for a high level of security has been a top priority for Medtronic. Security for the new connectivity and features was designed to protect the device and your data. Here is how we address two key security concerns:
Data privacy
- Encryption: Data is encrypted in the ICM (it includes a hardware encryption module) using NIST government standard for security (used in security-critical applications like banking and airlines) before it is transmitted to the CareLink™ network via the monitor.
ICM protection
- The ICM does not accept programming from unauthorized sources.
- The ICM is not “connected” to the internet, unlike consumer home tools like thermostats, for example.
The LINQ II™ ICM uses Bluetooth®* Low Energy and is not compatible with Bluetooth®* Classic (the type of Bluetooth®* in most cars). The car will not attempt to establish a connection with the ICM and the device won’t be able to detect Bluetooth®* Classic transmissions.
Living with MyCareLink Heart™ mobile app
Below is a list of everything you will need to set up the app. Please bring the following items to your next heart device appointment:
- Your smartphone or tablet. Please ensure that your mobile device is sufficiently charged. Medtronic recommends that your device is at least 50% charged.
- Your Apple®* App Store®* or Google Play™* ID and password.
- A valid email address.
To get started, please visit MCLHeart.com for a list of compatible devices.
Please keep your mobile device, software, and app current to stay connected to your clinic.
Your ICM uses Bluetooth®* Low Energy, while cars typically use Bluetooth®* Classic. Cars will not attempt to establish a connection with your ICM and your ICM will not be able to detect Bluetooth®* Classic transmissions.
If you normally have Bluetooth®* turned on, you should not experience any change in battery life of your mobile device. If you do not normally keep Bluetooth®* turned on, you may notice a decrease in the battery life of your mobile device while using the app between charges.
For LINQ II™ ICMs, the app's data consumption (15 MB/month) is equivalent to about two minutes of web surfing per day.
Just like other apps, if your mobile device has Wi-Fi or cellular connection, the data on the app will be available for a viewer to see. It is recommended that you protect your mobile device with a PIN code, fingerprint, or other security feature.
Living with MyCareLink Relay™ home communicator
As long as you see a green light ring on the face of the communicator, it is working. If you turn off the lights in the room or the room is dark, the light sensor turns off the lights on the communicator. The communicator is still working.
When your clinic reviews data transmitted from your communicator, it is similar to going in for a device checkup. Depending on your health insurance coverage, you may incur a charge for this remote device check. For more information, contact your health insurance provider or clinic.
If you press the button and the bottom of the light ring flashes green three times with a tone playing, the communicator is busy. Wait and try again later. For more information, see the troubleshooting section in the patient manual.
The communicator wirelessly connects with your device and transmits according to the schedule set by your clinic. For more information on your transmission schedule, contact your clinic or go to mycarelinkconnect.com.
For optimal performance, the communicator should be within 10 ft (3 m) of where you sleep. Do not place it under your bed.
Other electronic devices can be near the communicator (for example, on the same nightstand), but they should be kept a short distance apart from the communicator.
The communicator needs power to work. However, losing power does not affect your implanted heart device or your device data. When power is restored, the communicator will resume operating.
It depends on the length of time you’ll be away. Talk to your doctor to determine whether to bring your communicator with you. It is safe to take it in both carry-on and checked luggage.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your communicator, call Medtronic Patient Services at 800-551-5544 (Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. CT).
Move your communicator to a different location where there is better cellular reception. If the problem persists, see the troubleshooting section in the patient manual.
Unplug the communicator and then plug it back in. If the problem persists, call Medtronic Patient Services at 800-551-5544 (Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. CT).
For more information about your MyCareLink Relay™ bedside unit for the LINQ II™ ICM, click here:
Help with optional Patient Assistant
If you can’t get to it within five minutes or so, just write down the date and time of your symptoms and share this with your doctor during your next visit.
The information is automatically sent by your MyCareLink Relay™ home communicator during your next automatic transmission, and your physician will review the information with your other transmissions.
You don’t need to. The information is stored in the Reveal LINQ™ ICM or LINQ II™ ICM, not the Patient Assistant itself. It will be sent during your next automatic transmission.
Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and the risks and benefits of long-term heart monitoring.
The Patient Assistant is intended for unsupervised patient use away from a hospital or clinic. The Patient Assistant activates the data management feature in the Reveal™ insertable cardiac monitor to initiate recording of cardiac event data in the implanted device memory. Operation of the Patient Assistant near sources of electromagnetic interference, such as cellular phones, computer monitors, etc., may adversely affect the performance of this device.
Have additional questions?
Reveal LINQ™ ICM and LINQ II™ ICM (LINQ™ family of ICMs) patient service specialists are available to assist you.
- Customer support: 800-551-5544
- Monday–Friday: 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. CT
If you would like to send an email, you can reach us at diagnosticshelp@medtronic.com.
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*The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Medtronic is under license. Apple, iPhone, iPad, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android™ and Google Play™ store are trademarks of Google LLC.