ABBOTT PARK, Ill., May 9, 2017
/PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced CE
Mark of the TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor
Enabled™, developed to make it easier for physicians to more
effectively treat atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition in which
the upper chambers of the heart beat too fast. When integrated with
Abbott's EnSite Precision™ cardiac mapping system, physicians are
able to utilize dual impedance and magnetic technologies to help
more precisely model the heart. This integrated system also helps
physicians determine where to apply optimal contact force
(pressure) when creating a lesion during a cardiac ablation to
correct a heart rhythm abnormality. The Sensor Enabled technology
allows physicians to create a more detailed heart model during
ablation procedures than a catheter without a sensor. The CE Mark
is the latest in a line of new approvals within the company's
leading atrial fibrillation portfolio.
Arrhythmias develop when electrical signals that regulate heart
rhythms become disrupted or change, making the heart develop an
irregular heartbeat. A patient with AF is at increased risk for
stroke because the rapid heartbeat can let blood pool in the heart,
which can cause clots to form and travel to the brain. To restore
optimal electrical signals in the heart, ablation catheters deliver
radio-frequency energy to cardiac tissue, creating small scars or
lesions to areas responsible for generating arrhythmias. Not all
ablation technology is the same, however, and recent research has
continued to show the importance of applying optimal contact force
to the heart during ablation procedures. Too much pressure applied
to heart tissue can result in complications, yet if not enough
pressure is applied the lesion may not be effective enough to stop
the erratic signals in the heart.
"The TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled™
along with the EnSite Precision™ cardiac mapping system create a
powerful combination for more precisely treating patients with
cardiac arrhythmias," said Martin
Lowe, M.D., clinical director of cardiac electrophysiology
at Bart's Heart Centre at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in
London. "Feeling confident in the
accuracy of the contact force reading allows me to target the
optimal pressure for creating effective and safe lesions."
The TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled™,
is a significant update to the TactiCath™ Contact Force Catheter
family – which is the most-studied Contact Force ablation catheter
platform to date and has unmatched clinical evidence based on
number of completed prospective, protocol driven,
industry-sponsored, registered studies on Contact Force technology.
The clinical evidence show use of optimal Contact Force guided AF
ablation with the TactiCath™ Quartz catheter resulted in clinical
success in 85.5% of patients and fewer post-ablation clinical
events, translating to a 15% reduction in post-ablation management
costs ($3,402 savings per patient) in
the year after ablation vs. patients treated with a non-contact
force ablation catheter.
The magnetic sensor of the TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation
Catheter, Sensor Enabled™ integrates with the Abbott EnSite
Precision™ cardiac mapping system, providing the ability to collect
both magnetic and impedance (resistance) data so physicians can
create more life-like models of the heart. It also uses the Abbott
FlexAbility™ catheter platform's advanced ergonomic handle-shaft
combination, which is designed for reach, maneuverability and 1:1
torque.
When utilized with the EnSite Precision™ cardiac mapping system,
the TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled™ can
improve workflow efficiency in the lab. The system enables
automated guidance of lesion marking, verification of the ablation
catheter stability, the ability to automatically record the precise
location of the catheter tip during radiofrequency energy
application, the capability to add mapping points based on Contact
Force and the ability to review and identify any potential gaps by
viewing specific lesions from the display list.
"The goal in developing the TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation
Catheter, Sensor Enabled™ was to provide the most innovative
solution for treating atrial fibrillation and lead the way in
clinical outcomes for patients with cardiac arrhythmias – even
during long and complex ablation procedures," said Srijoy
Mahapatra, M.D., FHRS, medical director of Abbott's
electrophysiology business. "Integration with the EnSite Precision™
cardiac mapping system provides an unprecedented opportunity to
help patients suffering with atrial fibrillation."
Currently the TactiCath™ Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor
Enabled™ is available in select markets in Europe, with full market release expected in
the third quarter. Abbott is pursuing approval in the U.S.
About Abbott:
At Abbott, we're committed to helping
people live their best possible life through the power of health.
For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and
technologies to the world -- in nutrition, diagnostics, medical
devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- that create more
possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 94,000
of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better,
in the more than 150 countries we serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and
@AbbottGlobal.
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SOURCE Abbott