Electrophysiology News and Research

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AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation document released

A diverse collaboration of healthcare leaders today released the AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation to serve as a roadmap for reducing the burden of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the United States. The document outlines critical issues surrounding the management of AFib, and recommends priority actions in the areas of policy, management, education and quality.

17 Sep 2009

FDA clears Hansen Medical's Sensei X Robotic Catheter System

Furthering the medical robotic frontier in electrophysiology (EP), Hansen Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNSN) today announced it has received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its next generation Sensei® X Robotic Catheter System and it introduced the Artisan Extend™ Control Catheter. The company also introduced the Lynx™ Robotic Ablation Catheter, a small, flexible irrigated ablation catheter for customers in Europe.

16 Sep 2009

Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute to utilize Odyssey systems

Stereotaxis, Inc., announced that the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas ordered four Odyssey(TM) systems.

15 Sep 2009

FDA approves St. Jude Medical's EnSite Velocity Cardiac Mapping System

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and U.S. launch of its EnSite Velocity™ Cardiac Mapping System. This new system has been designed to help physicians more efficiently diagnose and guide therapy to treat abnormal heart rhythms.

14 Sep 2009

Special issue of Optometry & Vision Development explores autism

Autism. What is its cause? How does it affect brain anatomy, electrophysiology, visual function and perception? What must we do to meet the needs of these patients? How can optometrists as health care providers be in the vanguard for screening for this spectrum of disorders?

10 Sep 2009

Sequoia Hospital completes 1000 atrial fibrillation ablation procedures

Sequoia Hospital announced that the Cardiac Arrhythmia Program has completed 1,000 atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) ablation procedures, making it the highest total volume A-Fib ablation institution currently performing ablations in Northern and Central California.

9 Sep 2009

CRT-D implants for treating sudden cardiac death

Electrophysiologists Robert Stevenson, MD, and Jeffrey L. Williams, MD, MS, FACC, are safely implanting cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators in the Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH) Cardiology (Heart Failure) Program.

3 Sep 2009

Boston Scientific appoints Senior Vice President for its Cardiac Rhythm Management group

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that Ken Stein, M.D., FACC, will join the Company as Senior Vice President and Associate Chief Medical Officer for its Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) group. Dr. Stein is currently the Associate Director of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at Weill Cornell Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Cornell University.

31 Aug 2009

St. Jude Medical opens first Advanced Learning Center in Brussels

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced the official opening of the St. Jude Medical Advanced Learning Center, in Brussels, Belgium, offering education and training in advanced, evidence-based therapies for physicians who treat heart disease.

28 Aug 2009

2009 European Patient Monitoring Technology Leadership of the Year Award given to Mennen Medical

Mennen Medical, a leading provider of patient monitors, cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology systems, announced today that the global growth consulting company Frost & Sullivan has awarded Mennen Medical the 2009 European Patient Monitoring Technology Leadership of the Year Award.

25 Aug 2009

IGC scientist receives a total grant of 1.6 million euro to conduct research on neurological mechanisms

Rui Costa, principal investigator of the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC), in Portugal, is one of only 219 recipients of the prestigious European Research Council Starting grants, out of 2503 applicants for the 2009 edition of this flagship award scheme. The grant, totalling close to 1.6 million euro, for a period of five years, will allow Rui Costa's young research team to pursue their research into the neurological mechanisms underlying goal-directed decision making behaviour, versus habit-based responses.

25 Aug 2009

Research study links partial epilepsy to the disruption of brain development during early childhood

A form of partial epilepsy associated with auditory and other sensory hallucinations has been linked to the disruption of brain development during early childhood, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

24 Aug 2009

Mount Sinai Medical Center physicians pioneer a non-surgical procedure for treating LAA

Physicians at The Mount Sinai Medical Center were the first in the country to perform a non-surgical procedure using sutures to tie off a left atrial appendage (LAA), which is the source of blood clots leading to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is the most common sustained heart-rhythm disorder in the United States.

24 Aug 2009

Fainting may point to more serious, underlying cardiovascular condition

For those who suffer from fainting spells, the mysterious episodes can be quite scary. Far too often, fainting is chalked up to stress or other mental health issues. However, medical experts at Rush University Medical Center say that reoccurring fainting spells, also known as syncope, could be an important symptom that can point to a more serious, underlying cardiovascular condition.

10 Aug 2009

Big disparities in the treatment of arrhythmias across Europe

The latest statistics regarding the use of pacemakers and implantable cardiac devices in Europe was presented on Sunday 21 June, at EUROPACE 2009, the meeting of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) which takes place in Berlin, Germany from 21 to 24 June.

22 Jun 2009

Type of physician certification associated with risk of complications from ICDs

Patients whose implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are implanted by nonelectrophysiologists are at increased risk of complications and are less likely to receive a specific type of ICD when clinically indicated, according to a study in the April 22/29 issue of JAMA.

22 Apr 2009

Fluorescent anesthetic compound brings new avenues for drug discovery

A collaboration of University of Pennsylvania and University of Wisconsin chemists and anesthesiologists have identified a fluorescent anesthetic compound that will assist researchers in obtaining more precise information about how anesthetics work in the body and will provide a means to more rapidly test new anesthetic compounds in the search for safer and more effective drugs.

6 Apr 2009

New understanding of how anger can ventricular arrhythmias

New research published in the March 3, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that anger-induced electrical changes in the heart can predict future arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).

23 Feb 2009

Rhythm abnormality of unknown origin strongly predicts sudden death risk in heart disease patients

Researchers conducting a large, ongoing study to improve detection and prevention of sudden cardiac death were surprised to discover that a specific heart rhythm abnormality – idiopathic QT interval prolongation – increased risk five-fold among patients with coronary artery disease.

2 Feb 2009

New set of controls for stem cells discovered

Natural changes in voltage that occur across the membrane of adult human stem cells are a powerful controlling factor in the process by which these stem cells differentiate, according to research published by Tufts University scientists.

3 Dec 2008