Oct. 24, 2024 — Medtronic plc has announced United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Affera Mapping and Ablation System with Sphere-9 Catheter, an all-in-one, high-density (HD) mapping and pulsed field (PF) and radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter for treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AFib) and for RF ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) dependent atrial flutter.
With this approval, Medtronic now offers two PFA technologies available for patients with Afib. The PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation System, which was FDA approved in December 2023, offers physicians a safe, single-shot solution for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) while the Affera Sphere-9 catheter enables physician treatment flexibility with its wide area focal design and 9mm lattice tip that can used with an 8.5Fr sheath.
"The Affera system provides physicians with one safe, effective and efficient solution to this common and increasing problem in heart disease that needs optimized solutions for patients. With a short learning curve for experienced physicians, the possibilities are boundless for the treatment of Afib," said Vivek Reddy, M.D., Director of Cardiac Arrhythmia Services for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.
The Sphere-9 catheter offers physicians the option of both PF and RF energy delivery, fully integrated with the Affera Mapping and Ablation System. The Sphere-9 catheter enhances workflow efficiency for physicians while providing excellent safety and efficacy outcomes.
"The Affera system was designed to address procedural challenges faced by the electrophysiology community while maintaining a high standard of safety and efficacy for patients. By enabling a single transeptal, zero-fluoroscopy, and zero-exchange workflow, the Sphere-9 catheter uniquely integrates both mapping and ablation technologies, offering the flexibility to use either pulsed field or radiofrequency energy," said Doron Harlev, vice president of engineering for Cardiac Ablation Solutions at Medtronic and founder of Affera.
The approval was based on excellent results demonstrated in the pivotal SPHERE Per-AF study, an FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) trial, which compared the Sphere-9 catheter with the Affera Mapping and Ablation System to the conventional Thermocool SmartTouch SF radiofrequency ablation catheter with the Carto™*3 System.
"With the approval of Affera, we are excited to bring a novel mapping and ablation solution to clinicians that is intended to make atrial fibrillation treatment safer, more effective, and more efficient," said Rebecca Seidel, president of the Cardiac Ablation Solutions business, which is part of the Medtronic Cardiovascular Portfolio. "The potential of Affera is limitless. We will continue to fulfill our commitment to innovation, including new indications, to advance cardiovascular care and improve patient outcomes."
For more information on Affera and the Sphere-9 catheter, visit Medtronic.com.
January 15, 2026 
