BIOTRONIK's new ablation catheter is now available in Europe

BIOTRONIK SE Co. & KG, a leading manufacturer of cardiac devices, has announced that its innovative new ablation catheter, AlCath Flux eXtra Gold, is now available throughout Europe after receiving CE mark and successfully completing the premarket evaluation in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and several other European countries.

The unique features of the AlCath Flux eXtra Gold facilitate optimal irrigation. Building on the superior thermal properties of gold, the catheter tip's innovative X-shaped configuration of the 12 irrigation channels further increases the cooling effect by more than 33% compared to the preceding model. Proximal cooling specifically addresses the transition from tip to shaft to prevent charring during the procedure.

Professor Lars Lickfett, MD, from the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, stated after the first cases: "The Gold-tip electrode of the new ablation catheter with its unique irrigation concept remains cool during energy delivery even at relatively low flow rates and high power settings: This allows me to ablate atrial fibrillation safely with less irrigation fluid and less risk of thrombus formation."

In previous publications Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, PhD, from the University of Oklahoma, United States, already confirmed the advantages of Gold-tip ablation. It was shown that, compared to platinum catheters, Gold-tip ablation catheters demonstrated a significant reduction in incidence and size of thrombus during irrigated ablation.

AlCath Flux eXtra Gold combines these advantages with the innovative X-shaped irrigation configuration and the highly appreciated FullCircle deflection. "FullCircle deflection allows me to precisely reach even the most challenging anatomical positions and to increase the effectiveness of procedures," stated Dr. Georg Nölker, Heart and Diabetes Center Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany.

"Ablation therapies for atrial fibrillation are the fastest growing segment of the cardiac rhythm management industry and are a strategic focus area for BIOTRONIK," says Marlou Janssen, BIOTRONIK's Global Vice President of Marketing and Sales. "We will continue to strengthen our presence in the EP segment by adding further unique and innovative high quality technologies to our already broad electrophysiology portfolio."