St Jude Medical given EU clearance for new ablation catheter

St Jude Medical has received European approval to launch what it claims to be the first flexible tip ablation catheter ever produced by the industry.

The new Therapy Cool Flex catheter has been granted CE Mark authorisation and is designed for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

It features a fully-irrigated and flexible tip which is designed to bend in order to interact more comfortably with cardiac tissue anatomy, as well as allowing fluid to be infused around the electrode.

The manufacturer states that this will allow the catheter to stay in contact with the endocardial surface for as long as possible and use various angles of approach, making its use easier and more effective.

Jane Song, president of the St Jude Medical atrial fibrillation division, said: “We believe that our flexible tip has a strong potential to replace a rigid tip as the new industry standard for irrigated catheter ablation.”

Last month, St Jude Medical commenced a new clinical trial designed to establish the safety and efficacy of its Fractional Flow Reserve technology for treating stable coronary artery disease.