Electrophysiology News and Research

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Loyola tests new pressure-sensing catheter to treat atrial fibrillation

Loyola University Medical Center is testing a high-tech catheter device that's intended to improve outcomes of patients treated for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heartbeat.

15 Sep 2011

Majority of cryoballoon ablation patients show no signs of A-Fib year after procedure

Many patients are responding to a new, minimally invasive way of treating irregular heartbeats by freezing out the bad cells. Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) is one such heart rhythm disorder, and it's the most common arrhythmia affecting Americans.

13 Sep 2011

Huge economic, social and personal burden of AF-related strokes across Latin America

Urgent coordinated action from national governments, medical societies and patient organizations is needed to avoid a public health crisis resulting from the tide of preventable strokes that leave many people with atrial fibrillation (AF) mentally and physically disabled or dead, every year. How Can We Avoid a Stroke Crisis in Latin America?, a report from Action for Stroke Prevention - a group of health experts from around the world - reveals the huge economic, social and personal burden of AF-related strokes across the region.

12 Sep 2011

St. Jude Medical receives approval for CRT-D quadripolar pacing system in India

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced the approval of the industry's first quadripolar pacing system for cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) in India. The Promote Quadra CRT-D offers physicians the ability to more effectively and efficiently manage the ever-changing pacing needs of patients with heart failure.

7 Sep 2011

Simpler defibrillators may cause fewer problems for patients at risk of sudden cardiac death

When it comes to defibrillators, simpler may be safer, even though more complex machines are used on a majority of patients.

2 Sep 2011

Medtronic acquires PEAK and Salient

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of two privately-held companies, PEAK Surgical, Inc. and Salient Surgical Technologies, Inc. Both of the companies are focused on advanced energy surgical technologies and will broaden Medtronic Surgical Technologies' portfolio of innovative surgical products to meet customer and patient needs worldwide.

From Medtronic 2 Sep 2011

Research reveals significant increase in infections associated with cardiac electrophysiological devices

New research from the Jefferson Heart Institute shows that patients in the United States who receive cardiac electrophysiological devices (CIEDs), including permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are now at greater risk of contracting an infection over the life span of the device.

23 Aug 2011

Scientists identify brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy.

23 Aug 2011

Researchers demonstrate a way to control excitation and contraction in cardiac muscle cells

By employing optogenetics, a new field that uses genetically altered cells to respond to light, and a tandem unit cell (TCU) strategy, researchers at Stony Brook University have demonstrated a way to control cell excitation and contraction in cardiac muscle cells, the details of which are published in the early online edition of Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology: "Stimulating Cardiac Muscle by Light: Cardiac Optogenetics by Cell Delivery."

19 Aug 2011

Elsevier announces Braunwald's Heart Disease Practice Guides App for iPad users

Elsevier, the leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced its Braunwald's Heart Disease Practice Guides App for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch is now available on the App Store.

5 Aug 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's IDE for Advisa DR MRI SureScan pacing system

Medtronic, Inc. today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application and pivotal clinical trial protocol to begin evaluating Advisa DR MRI SureScan pacing system.

From Medtronic 1 Aug 2011

First cardiac ablation procedure using Thermocool SmartTOUCH catheter performed at Mount Sinai

The Mount Sinai Medical Center has become the first hospital on the east coast to perform a cardiac ablation procedure using the Thermocool Smarttouch Contact Force-Sensing Catheter for the treatment of symptomatic, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), or periodic rapid and irregular heartbeats.

30 Jul 2011

WARFARIN Study initiated to assess utility of genetic testing to reduce warfarin-related adverse events

Iverson Genetic Diagnostics, Inc. announced that the WARFARIN Study was initiated at Colorado Heart & Vascular, P.C. in Denver and other major hospital systems nationwide to assess the utility of genetic testing to determine a personalized warfarin dose for individual patients to reduce their risk of serious bleeding or clotting events.

30 Jul 2011

Johnson & Johnson second quarter sales increase 8.3% to $16.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $16.6 billion for the second quarter of 2011, an increase of 8.3% as compared to the second quarter of 2010.

19 Jul 2011

A*Star Institute of Microelectronics shortens drug development cycle with new silicon-based screening tool

Researchers from A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed a lateral silicon-based drug screening tool that has demonstrated simultaneous capture of 12 individual cells – 12 times higher throughput than conventional patch clamping. The device can be scaled up to allow 1536 cell-recordings simultaneously, permitting 16 times higher throughput than existing planar patch clamp approach.

19 Jul 2011

Endosense completes first patient case utilizing new prototype software

Endosense, a Swiss medical technology company, has announced completion of the first patient case utilizing prototype software that integrates the contact-force data provided by Endosense's TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter with Siemens Healthcare's electrophysiology solutions.

11 Jul 2011

Medtronic enters definitive agreement to acquire Salient Surgical Technologies

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Salient Surgical Technologies, Inc., the leader in the advanced energy category for haemostatic sealing of soft tissue and bone in a variety of surgical procedures including orthopaedic surgery, spine, open abdominal and thoracic procedures.

From Medtronic 8 Jul 2011

Medtronic enters definitive agreement to acquire PEAK Surgical

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PEAK Surgical, Inc., a recognized leader in the emerging field of advanced energy surgical incision technology to broaden Medtronic Surgical Technologies' portfolio of innovative surgical products to meet customer and patient needs worldwide.

From Medtronic 8 Jul 2011

Nanoscientist to develop new microsystem for more efficient drug-testing

A University of Southampton nanoscientist is working on a new microsystem for more efficient testing of pharmaceutical drugs to treat diseases such as cystic fibrosis, MG (myasthenia gravis) and epilepsy.

6 Jul 2011

Genetic variation associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

A study by a global consortium of physician-scientists has identified a genetic variation that may predispose people to double the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest, a disorder that gives little warning and is fatal in about 95 percent of cases.

1 Jul 2011