The role of insertable loop recorders: Current perspectives and future possibilities

In the last years the introduction of Insertable Loop Recorders (ILRs) tried to tackle several unmet clinical needs, from unexplained syncope diagnosis to atrial fibrillation (AF) detection and management. While the use of a single vector EKG posed sensing and detection challenges, not faced with multi-lead therapy devices like implantable pacemakers or defibrillators, the possibility to apply established signal processing techniques in the clinical field defined a new paradigm and stimulated new possible applications. The aim of this brief communication is to provide a clinical background for the medical demand for an ILR, to describe the validated use of some techniques, like the Lorentz plot, and to introduce new possible use, like the predictive role of atrial fibrillatory rates (AFR) in AF patient management or the discrimination role of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in transient loss of consciousness (TLOC).