Ablation Catheter Offers Real-Time Contact Force Information

A new therapeutic catheter enables direct and real-time measurement of contact force during ablation procedures.

The Thermocool Smarttouch Catheter is intended for patients suffering from drug-resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (Afib), sustained monomorphic ischemic ventricular tachycardia, and Type I atrial flutter. The device enhances the physician’s ability to achieve stable and consistent application of contact force by providing direct, real-time quantitative feedback, displayed graphically on the proprietary CARTO 3 System, which delivers the radio frequency (RF) energy to the device and provides a control interface.


The safety and effectiveness of the device were evaluated as part of a prospective, multicenter study called the SMART-AF Trial, held in patients with drug-resistant symptomatic Afib. One-year results from the trial showed that patients experienced a 74% overall success rate after treatment. Data from the trial also showed that when physicians stayed within a targeted contact force range for 85% of the time, a success rate of 88% was achievable. The Thermocool Smarttouch Catheter is a product of Biosense Webster (Diamond Bar, CA, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“We are pleased to be able to introduce this important advancement to help clinicians enhance the quality of care they deliver for the thousands of US atrial fibrillation patients in need of alternative treatments to drug therapy,” said David Shepherd, worldwide president of Biosense Webster. “The burden of atrial fibrillation on quality of life, morbidity, and mortality is well documented and we are committed to developing life-enhancing therapies to continue addressing unmet needs in this space.”

“Thermocool Smarttouch Catheter is an important new device that will benefit the electrophysiology community, as it will enable us to more precisely control the amount of contact force applied to the heart wall when creating lesions during catheter ablation,” said Andrea Natale, MD, executive medical director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (Austin, TX, USA). “The use of contact force-sensing technology has emerged as a critical tool in delivering optimal outcomes in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation and represents a major advancement for the clinical community.”

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