Thermedical announced today that it completed a feasibility study using pulsed field ablation in combination with its SERF ablation system.
Weston, Massachusetts–based Thermedical designed its SERF system and Durablate catheter to work with PFA to treat ventricular tachycardia (VT).
According to Thermedical, SERF (saline-enhanced radio frequency) ablation provides a new, more efficient form of biological heat transfer than conventional RF ablation methods. The company says its Durablate catheter delivers energy with a high level of accuracy. It treats tissue deeper in the heart wall, where arrhythmias causing VT often appear.
Thermedical is evaluating SERF with Durablate as a treatment for arrhythmias resistant to antiarryhtmic drugs or standard ablation. It believes that adding PFA to SERF ablation could offer a more complete approach to VT ablation.
“We are encouraged by the results from our pre-clinical feasibility study evaluating PFA technology integrated into our SERF ablation system with the Durablate catheter. We believe this combination therapy will show promise in improving the management of people with VT, potentially offering new hope for people who live with this challenging condition,” said Michael Curley, co-founder and CEO of Thermedical. “The incorporation of PFA into Thermedical’s Durablate catheter, featuring advanced electrode configurations, reinforces our commitment to advancing cardiac ablation technologies. Our Durablate catheter’s design enables targeted ablation of previously untreated tissue layers. PFA in combination with our clinically tested SERF ablation method may improve therapeutic outcomes.”
Pulsed field ablation has generated a great deal of excitement in the medical device industry. Its potential advantages versus radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation include the characteristic that heart muscle tissue can be especially susceptible to it, while other types of surrounding tissue are injury-resistant. In December, Medtronic picked up the first FDA approval for PFA to treat paroxysmal and persistent AFib. The next month, Boston Scientific won approval for its Farapulse system.
