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 | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | June 26, 2018
June 26, 2018 — MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute physicians participating in a clinical trial have become the...
An example of an automated summary cardiac monitor report from Medicalgorithmics' PocketECG system. Most of the the report parameters can be opened as separate pages with additional automated report summaries and graphical data charts.
Blog | Remote Monitoring | June 20, 2018
There is a movement toward real-time, remote cardiac monitoring with the latest generation of event and Holter monitor...
Image courtesy of Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute
News | EP Mapping and Imaging Systems | June 12, 2018
June 12, 2018 — Volta Medical, out of Marseille, France, has developed the first artificial intelligence (AI) software...
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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...
A view of the EPD Solutions catheter ablation system image guidance. It displays the catheter within a pre-acquired 3D segmented CT image. The D700 system provides a real-time lesion assessment tool that predicts transmurality and permanency of lesions, pre- and immediately post-ablation.
News | EP Lab | June 05, 2018
June 5, 2018 — Philips Healthcare has signed an agreement to acquire EPD Solutions, a provider of image-guidance in...
Digital mHealth advances like wearable heart monitors, smartphone apps and artificial intelligence will reshape the standard of care in the coming years according to three recent JACC articles.
Feature | Information Technology | June 05, 2018
June 5, 2018 — The future of cardiovascular care will be transformed by advances in artificial intelligence, digital...
A severe radiation burn caused by extended X-ray angiography in the same location during an interventional procedure in the cath lab. Controlling cath lab radiation dose was a big topic this past month, with three articles on this subject making the top 20 list. This image is a figure included in the new joint cardiology society consensus document on radiation from medical imaging from the third story on this list.
Feature | June 01, 2018 | Dave Fornell, Editor
June 1, 2018 — Here is the list of the most popular content on the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC)...
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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. “...
News | Heart Failure | May 30, 2018
May 30, 2018 — Data from the GENETIC-AF trial was presented in a “Late Breaking Clinical Trials” oral presentation at...
Figure 1: Images showing the effect of both surgical epicardial PEF ablation and catheter based PEF ablation in the first-in-human electroporation ablation study to freat Afib.
News | May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018 — Data from the first-in-human study using pulsed electric field (PEF) energy ablate heart tissue in the...
Image courtesy of Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute
News | Atrial Fibrillation | May 24, 2018
May 24, 2018 — Atrial fibrillation patients who are diagnosed with carotid artery disease face higher risks for...
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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...
New cardiac monitoring technologies allow for longer duration data collection. The Medtronic Reveal Linq implantable cardiac monitor allows for 24/7 monitoring for up to three years. This might not be necessary for most patients, and there are several newer Holter monitors that can record up to several days or several weeks of data in real-time.
Blog | ECG Wireless Remote Access | May 23, 2018
New patient monitoring technologies with wireless connectivity have enabled a revolution in cardiac event and Holter...
News | Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices (CRT) | May 22, 2018
May 22, 2018 — Medtronic plc announced study results showing its AdaptivCRT algorithm is associated with improved...
News | Ablation Systems | May 22, 2018
May 22, 2018 — LuxCath LLC showcased the next generation of its proprietary OmniView light-guided catheter ablation...
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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...
The Kardium Globe combined mapping and ablation catheter. The device has a distal multi-electrode array consisting of 16 ribs with 122 gold-plated electrodes. Ablation can be done with up to 24 electrodes simultaneously.
News | Ablation Systems | May 21, 2018
May 21, 2018 — Complete pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was achieved in more than 99 percent of patients in a first-in-...
The Abbott Advisor HD mapping catheter and the Biosense Webster Vizigo introducer were among two of the top innovations displayed on the show floor of Heart Rhythm 2018.
Blog | HRS | May 21, 2018
Electrophysiology is one of the most rapidly-growing areas of healthcare. That may be why it’s the focus of so many...
A slide image from Reddy's presntation at Heart Rhythm 2018, showing thrombus formation on the face of a Watchman device in an echo image.
Feature | Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Occluders | May 18, 2018
May 18, 2018 — Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with the transcatheter Watchman device prevents thromboembolism...
