Atrial Fibrillation
This channel includes news and new technology innovations for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, also referred to as AF or afib. AF is a cardiac arrhythmia caused by irregular and often rapid heart rate. It is caused by the upper chambers (the atria) beating irregularly and uncoordinated with the lower ventricle chambers of of the heart. Symptoms include weakness with heart palpitations and shortness of breath. The conditional can lead to an increased risk of stroke and heart failure. AF episodes can cause the blood in the atria to stagnate and form clots, usually within the left atrial appendage (LAA). The clots can flow to the brain and cause a stroke. Treatments include anticoagulation therapy to dissolve clots, catheter or surgical ablation and LAA occlusion.
News | Stroke | May 12, 2017
May 12, 2017 — More than one-third of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) were observed...
News | Ablation Systems | May 10, 2017
May 10, 2017 — Abbott announced CE Mark of the TactiCath Contact Force Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled, developed to...
News | EP Mapping and Imaging Systems | May 02, 2017
May 2, 2017 — Acutus Medical recently announced that enrollment has been completed in its pivotal Utilizing Novel...
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OTC ECG devices can help detect abnormal heart rhythms in the general population, and this technology will continue to improve.
Feature | ECG | March 11, 2020
Apple created a stir when it announced in 2018 that its Apple Watch Series 4 was the first consumer health and fitness...
News | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | April 25, 2017
April 25, 2017 — AtriCure Inc. announced it has sold more than 100,000 AtriClip Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion System...
Feature | HRS | May 16, 2017
May 16, 2017 — Here is a list of the late-breaking clinical trials presented at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2017...
News | Atrial Fibrillation | April 11, 2017
April 10, 2017 — Medtronic recently announced the first enrollments in the STOP Persistent AF clinical trial. The study...
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Several wearable, less-obtrusive ECG monitors have been cleared by the FDA for longer wear. This example is Cardiac Insight’s Cardea SOLO device.
Feature | ECG | February 19, 2020
When the patients of Michael Boler, M.D. need cardiac monitoring, the Holter monitor is no longer his first choice. “...
The AtriCure Atriclip surgical LAA occlusion device. It loops over the LAA on the outside of the heart and clips it off from the rest of the heart to prevent the formation of clots.
Feature | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | March 29, 2017
March 29, 2017 — For patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), closing the area of the heart known as the left atrial...
Feature | Atrial Fibrillation | March 29, 2017
March 29, 2017 — Uninterrupted treatment with dabigatran (Pradaxa), a non-vitamin K, novel antagonist oral...
Technology | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | March 22, 2017
March 22, 2017 — Aegis Medical Innovations Inc. announced that it has received Investigational Device Exemption...
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Use of traditional Holter monitor leads can be an issue for patient compliance and comfort. The newer generation ambulatory cardiac monitors use a small, adhesive patch that sticks directly on the patient's chest and allows them to shower and go about daily activities without a belt mounted monitor or leads getting in the way. This is especially important for longer term monitoring of seven days or longer.
Feature | ECG | September 27, 2018
Advances in the technology of wearable cardiac monitors are improving both the experience of the patient and the...
News | Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapies | March 14, 2017
March 14, 2017 — More than 80 percent of stroke patients with a history of atrial fibrillation either received not...
Technology | Ablation Systems | February 16, 2017
February 16, 2017 — Medtronic plc announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Freezor Xtra...
Part of a donated human heart is reanimated and recorded with four high-definition optic cameras in a laboratory at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Researchers keep the heart tissue alive to look for the causes of irregular heartbeats in cases of persistent atrial fibrillation. Image courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
News | EP Lab | February 01, 2017
February 1, 2017 — Researchers have developed a technique that allows them to revive parts of human hearts in the...
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An example of the new generation of cardiac monitoring device that is replacing Holter monitoring is the Cardea Solo wearable sensor. The FDA-cleared device automatically analyzes data when the device is turned back into the physician's office and automatically produces a draft summary report. This technology can simplify the workflow by eliminating the need for third-party involvement.
Feature | Atrial Fibrillation | September 13, 2018
Rapid advances in technology to monitor atrial fibrillation (AF or Afib) are enabling clinicians to access real-time...
News | Ablation Systems | January 25, 2017
January 25, 2017 — CardioFocus Inc. recently announced the initial clinical evaluation of the HeartLight Excalibur...
News | Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapies | January 11, 2017
January 11, 2017 — For patients with atrial fibrillation, the most common form of heart arrhythmia, a main goal of...
News | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | January 06, 2017
January 6, 2017 — SentreHeart Inc. announced that it has completed the Stage I enrollment milestone in the aMAZE Trial...
