Medtronic Gives University at Buffalo Five Defibrillators for Cardiovascular Research

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Medtronic has made a gift-in-kind of five ICB dual-chamber implantable defibrillator systems, with a total value of $150,000, to the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for the groundbreaking cardiovascular research of John M. Canty, Jr.

Robert A. Klocke, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine, thanked Medtronic for its generous gift.

"We are very appreciative of this support, especially since this gift will further our goals for the newly created Center for Research in Cardiovascular Medicine at UB," Klocke said.

Carlton Brock, Jr., district manager for Medtronic, said the corporation is pleased to provide defibrillator systems "for research that could have a direct impact on saving lives," adding, "partnerships such as these that tie the work of researchers with the medical industry are the future of increased good health for the public."

Medtronic is one of several organizations, including the Mae Stone Goode Trust and the John R. Oishei Foundation, that recently have made commitments to supporting UB's new cardiac center, headed by Canty.

In his work at the center, Canty leads a team of scientists from the university's departments of medicine, physiology and biophysics, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology and toxicology, as well as the Center for Positron Emission Tomography. He said the defibrillator systems will play a key role in research that he hopes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in ischemic heart disease.

"Progress has been made in recent years in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and heart failure, but there is still a need for prevention of other cardiovascular disorders such as sudden cardiac death from ventricular arrhythmias," Canty said.

A professor in UB's departments of medicine, physiology and biophysics and a 1979 graduate of the UB medical school, Canty in 2001 was named the medical school's Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Chair in Cardiovascular Disease.

Medtronic is the world leader in medical technology providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. The company offers products, therapies and services that enhance or extend the lives of millions of people. Each year, 2.5 million patients benefit from Medtronic's technology, used to treat conditions such as heart disease, neurological disorders and vascular illnesses.

The gift-in-kind is part of the "Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation," now in its final phase.

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