wow thanks. I had a relative who got a combo unit and i was amazed at how they could scan it and get all sorts of information, and how the battery seemed to last more than 10 years. It’s be neat to see how much they improve every 10 years. Also they could reprogram it remotely I seem to remember.
I had my 2nd device for 11.5 years. From a user point of view, there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference but probably it's ability to recover pace is improved.
And yes, the data within is readable and the device can be reprogrammed externally as well. They once changed my defibrillation trigger point from 180 bpm to 190 bpm. Also, they can vary the power of the little impulses for pacing. They did this once on mine trying to make them small enough not to stimulate my diaphragm muscle yet big enough to be sure my heart reacts to them.