On 19 September, Biotronik announced the European market launch of its AlCath Flutter Gold ablation catheter designed to treal atrial flutter.
The company announced that Thorsten Lewalter, director of the Isar Heart Center Munich, Medical Center for Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care, Munich, Germany, successfully performed the first AlCath Flutter case worldwide as part of an international product evaluation. According to a company release, the procedure was successfully completed in 16 centres across Europe and Israel. “Physicians rated the stability of AlCath Flutter Gold in various anatomical positions as excellent compared to their standard catheter of choice,” a release stated.
AlCath Flutter Gold is the result of 10 years of experience in this field. Biotronik pioneered GoldTip ablation in 2003 and at the time, according to a company release, was the first and only company to advance this type of ablation technology.
The new catheter is designed to guarantee the highest amount of control in order to follow isthmus anatomy smoothly without jumping off or losing effective contact. Using innovative technology such as high density braiding and lateral stabilisation of the tip segment, AlCath Flutter Gold applies contact force more effectively than currently available products, according to the company.
“The superior control offered by this new ablation catheter provides me with greater precision,” said Lewalter. “While Biotronik’s AlCath Gold series has always offered efficiency and safety in various tachycardia treatments, the advanced stability of this new catheter makes it optimal for treating atrial flutter. Now I can ablate with effective contact force, even in the most challenging target sites of the tricuspid isthmus anatomy.”
“Biotronik has been a pioneer in GoldTip ablation therapy, perfecting the technology over the last 10 years,” said Christoph Böhmer, president International, Biotronik. “Now Biotronik once again does what it has always done best: listen to what electrophysiology experts had to say about the challenging aspects of daily clinical practice to create a product that benefits both physician and patient. AlCath Flutter Gold is an important new addition to our electrophysiology portfolio, demonstrating Biotronik’s continued commitment to serving our customers in the rapidly growing field of ablation therapy.”
The AlCath Flutter received the CE mark in July 2013 and it is not FDA approved yet.
