- Abbott's Volt™ Pulsed Field Ablation System is designed to
provide a new therapy option for people battling heart rhythm
disorders such as atrial fibrillation
- Pulsed field ablation – or PFA – uses high energy electrical
pulses for ablation procedures that may offer benefits to target
and treat tissue in the heart
- Abbott's Volt PFA System is designed to overcome limitations of
first-generation PFA systems by providing physicians a clearer
indication of contact between the Volt PFA Catheter and targeted
tissue
ABBOTT
PARK, Ill., Jan. 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today
announced the first global procedures have been conducted using the
company's new Volt™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System to treat
patients battling common abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial
fibrillation (AFib). Over 30 patients were recently treated in
Australia as part of Abbott's Volt
CE Mark study, a pre-market, multi-center clinical study designed
to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Abbott's Volt PFA
System. In addition to upcoming procedures in markets across
Asia Pacific and Europe, Abbott anticipates approval for its
U.S. clinical trial (IDE) for the Volt PFA System in the first half
of this year.
"We have long known that pulsed field ablation could open up an
entirely new frontier in how we treat people battling the most
complex cardiac arrhythmias. But like any innovation, early
solutions have not been able to fully capitalize on those potential
benefits," said Professor Prash
Sanders, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., director of the Centre for Heart
Rhythm Disorders at the University of Adelaide in Australia, who conducted the first procedures
with the Volt PFA System. "Abbott has designed a novel PFA solution
that, when combined with its EnSite X cardiac mapping system, can
address hard-to-treat irregular heartbeats with a level of accuracy
and precision that's never before been possible."
Historically, patients requiring a cardiac ablation procedure to
treat conditions like AFib received radiofrequency (RF)
ablation, which uses heat to destroy tissue responsible for
erratic heart signals, or cryogenic ablation, which
freezes tissue. Instead of heat or extreme cold, PFA uses high
energy electrical pulses to destroy the cells causing abnormal
heart rhythms, which can reduce the risk of damaging adjacent
tissue in patients with complex disease or anatomy.
First-generation PFA systems have required multiple
ablations with the catheter positioned in various locations to
effectively treat targeted tissue.
Abbott's Volt PFA System addresses these limitations
by pairing its balloon-in-basket catheter with Abbott's
EnSite™ X EP System, an industry-leading heart mapping system
that allows physicians to visualize and position tools like
the Volt PFA Catheter in the heart. Volt's design can result in
more accurate ablation procedures as it provides physicians a
clearer indication to make improved contact with the targeted heart
tissue due to the catheter's unique positioning, handling and
steering. Its balloon feature allows for efficient energy transfer
to tissue to improve how the catheter creates lesions to stop the
heart's erratic signals.
The EnSite X mapping system's clear visualization guides
physicians to precisely identify areas in the heart that require
ablation, allowing for a more accurate position of the Volt PFA
Catheter to treat tissue. The benefits of this degree of
specificity are a more efficient workflow and reduced patient
exposure to radiation.
"Daily life for the millions of people with AFib can be
difficult as symptoms often include palpitations, shortness of
breath, dizziness and chest pain, making it critical that
physicians treat the issue as soon as possible," said Christopher Piorkowski, M.D., chief medical
officer of Abbott's electrophysiology business. "With AFib cases
expected to rise continuously, Abbott's Volt PFA System meets a
growing demand for a more innovative solution that reduces the
patient procedure time and overall hospital stay, getting them back
to living a fuller, longer life."
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that
helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio
of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare,
with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical
devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000
colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn
at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter
@AbbottNews.
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SOURCE Abbott