January 11, 2011 - nContact Surgical, a cardiac ablation device manufacturer, is changing its name to nContact to reflect the trend away from surgery toward percutaneous and minimally invasive procedures.
“nContact’s progressive technology and our ability to continuously provide less invasive epicardial ablation options no longer restricts our device to surgeons,” said John Funkhouser, CEO of nContact. “By removing ‘Surgical’ from our company name, we are categorically affirming our mission to transform the ablation market and change the dialogue from individual surgical or catheter approaches to interdisciplinary and EP-only approaches that may achieve greater scientific and clinical endpoints.”
The company has enabled the evolution of epicardial ablation procedures that have explored simpler access to the heart while creating complete lesions under direct visibility. It is credited with pioneering SUBTLE (SUB-thoracic TotaL Endoscopic) access to the heart, which enables a closed chest ablation procedure (without any chest incisions or ports) through a small midline abdominal incision. The primary advantage of the procedure, which utilizes the company’s Numeris Coagulation System with VisiTrax, is its unique integration of suction, perfusion, and RF-energy to create visible, continuous lesions on a beating heart.
The procedure is the first truly minimally invasive, standardized approach to access the posterior of the heart.
The company’s technology is being developed further to enable a new sub-xyphoid percutaneous approach to the atria and ventricles through a simple needle puncture.
“nContact is uniquely positioned, based on a significant scientific foundation, to demonstrate the importance of epicardial ablation to enhance the performance of existing catheter ablation tools,” said Kenneth C. Civello, M.D., chief of electrophysiology at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. “The combined approach is completely synergistic with the extensive technology platform of EPs, as endocardial ablation remains important, and mapping and navigational diagnostics may predict outcomes.”
For more information: www.ncontactinc.com
February 06, 2026 
