Electrophysiology Catheters for Diagnosing Arrhythmias

A new electrophysiology catheter is designed to help clinicians diagnose paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), a common heart arrhythmia and a common risk factor for stroke.

The catheter, called the Supreme Spiral SC, is introduced into the heart's left atrium with special guides, allowing doctors to circumferentially map the myocardial sleeves around the ostia of the pulmonary veins. The catheter's unique spiral-shaped curve tips can assist the doctor in identifying the desired entrance or exit points where atrial fibrillation propagates into the left atrium.

The catheter is the product of St. Jude Medical Inc. (St. Paul, MN, USA). The company's Supreme product line also includes mapping catheters for the diagnosis of other arrhythmias. St. Jude offers a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic catheter-based electrophysiology tools.

"Clinically, the process to successfully locate the source of focally initiated PAF can be very time-consuming and fraught with difficulties for the physician,” said Michael J. Coyle, president of St. Jude. "The new Supreme Spiral SC catheter represents a significant advance in mapping technology for PAF.”



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