St. Jude Medical, a US-based medical technology company, has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its new MediGuide Enabled Ablation Catheters designed to treat specific irregular heartbeats.
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center cardiac electrophysiology director Dr Chun Hwang performed the first procedure with the new ablation catheter in Provo, Utah.
It is reportedly the only system that effectively treats cardiac patients with ablation therapy using minimal exposure to radiation.
Similar to a global positioning system, the MediGuide technology allows physicians to see the precise location and orientation of MediGuide Enabled devices inside the heart.
The MediGuide Enabled Safire Duo and Cool Path Duo irrigated tip ablation catheters treat atrial flutter, a heart rhythm disorder where the upper chambers of the heart beat too fast and out of sync with the lower chambers.
Both the Safire and Cool Path have 12 irrigation ports designed to cool the tissue at the site of ablation.
The new MediGuide Enabled ablation catheters expand the utility of the MediGuide system which is an important platform that provides clinicians with the ability to reduce the duration of radiation exposure and improve the accuracy and consistency of procedures.
St. Jude Medical cardiovascular and ablation technologies division president Frank J Callaghan said, "The MediGuide Technology is an example of our commitment to providing solutions for expensive and epidemic diseases that can have a direct impact on both physicians and patients."
The high-performance tips and uni-direction or bi-directional deflection, gives improved reach and control to these mediguide enabled ablation catheters.