ST. LOUIS, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stereotaxis, Inc. (OTCQX:STXS) and Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco today announced the publication of a study comparing the speed of lesion formation of magnetic catheters using the Niobe® system to manually controlled contact force catheters. The analysis included 1008 radiofrequency (RF) applications in 21 patients who underwent atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures.
“The Niobe system has long been recognized as providing the safest method for performing cardiac ablations and for allowing physicians to reach critical areas of the heart that would otherwise be impossible to access. There has been less certainty regarding the effectiveness of the lesions that are delivered,” said Sok-Sithikun Bun, M.D., Princess Grace Hospital. “Our clinical research builds upon published bench studies that have illustrated the magnetic catheter's stable focal contact. In this study, we evaluated the time it takes to create transmural lesions in patients undergoing AF ablation. We found lesions created using the Niobe system achieve the desired endpoint almost 20% faster than those administered using a force-sensing catheter. The magnetic system offers physicians the advantage of nearly unlimited reach and the confidence to deliver effective lesions.”
The research team analyzed 1008 RF applications from patients undergoing remote magnetic navigation (n = 11) or contact force-guided (n = 10) ablation procedures for paroxysmal AF. They assessed electrograms at the beginning of each RF application and the time was measured until the shape of the waveform changed in a manner suggesting the attainment of a transmural lesion. Delivery of RF applications in the contact force-guided group had an average force of 11 grams and required 5.6 seconds to achieve the necessary waveform change. In the remote magnetic navigation-guided catheter group, the waveform change took 4.5 seconds, a reduction of approximately 20%. Complete study results are available online in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (DOI: 10.1111/jce.13222).
About Stereotaxis
Stereotaxis is the global leader in innovative robotic technologies designed to enhance the treatment of arrhythmias and perform endovascular procedures. Its mission is the discovery, development and delivery of robotic systems, instruments, and information solutions for the interventional laboratory. These innovations help physicians provide unsurpassed patient care with robotic precision and safety, improved lab efficiency and productivity, and enhanced integration of procedural information. Over 100 issued patents support the Stereotaxis platform. The core components of Stereotaxis’ systems have received regulatory clearance in the United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, China, and elsewhere. For more information, please visitwww.stereotaxis.com.