MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. said late-stage study data shows two catheters it is seeking approval for in the United States work faster than a traditional approach in helping doctors treat forms of atrial fibrillation, a condition that could trigger a stroke.
The Minneapolis company said its Arctic Front Cardiac CyroAblation Catheter and Pulmonary Vein Ablation Catheter were more than 35 percent faster in achieving pulmonary vein isolation compared to point-by-point focal ablation procedures.
Atrial fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to contract irregularly, potentially triggering a stroke. Pulmonary vein isolation stops the rapid beating of the heart’s upper chambers by blocking conduction pathways that trigger atrial fibrillation. The catheters are inserted through an artery in the groin and then threaded up to the heart.
Spokeswoman Catherine Peloquin said the Medtronic catheters can reduce procedure time and allow doctors to schedule more appointments in a day.
Both catheters are approved in Europe to treat different forms of atrial fibrillation, and both are currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Date: June 18, 2010
Source: Associated Press
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
