MedLumics Technology Validated for Real-time Assessment of Catheter Ablation Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Pre-clinical Feasibility Study

MADRID,  MedLumics, a medical imaging company specializing in advanced optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, has announced the completion of a successful single-case pre-clinical feasibility study of its technology in the catheter ablation treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The study incorporated a novel catheter capable of simultaneous radiofrequency ablation and imaging based on MedLumics’ polarization-sensitive optical coherence reflectometry and showed that the combined technology may help improve clinical outcomes by providing direct, real-time information on ablation efficacy. Results of the study were published in the August issue of The Journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management.

“These promising results show the potential of optical imaging to guide minimally invasive therapeutic procedures and improve accuracy and patient safety,” said Eduardo Margallo, CEO of MedLumics. “Thanks to the years of development built into our technology, we are in a position to introduce this innovation into a practical RF ablation product.”

Many technologies have emerged over the last several years to advance the catheter ablation treatment of AF, yet the procedure remains highly complex and unpredictable. Recurrence rates at one-year follow-up exceed approximately 60 percent in broad registries. A widely accepted cause of recurrence after initially successful treatment is pulmonary vein reconnection due to ineffective lesion formation.

MedLumics’ imaging technology is designed to provide clinicians with direct, real-time information on lesion formation in the tissue surrounding the catheter’s radiofrequency electrode. In addition to capturing the distance and contact quality between cardiac tissue and catheter tip, it uniquely allows clinicians to analyze changes in tissue optical properties during the ablation procedure. This added information may offer clinicians a new and direct method for evaluating lesion efficacy during catheter ablation procedures, thereby improving treatment effectiveness and reducing recurrence rates. The company is currently developing a clinical version of the catheter with full 360 degree coverage of the tissue around the catheter tip and state-of-the art irrigation.

The new cardiac application of MedLumics’ technology builds on its current product in dermatology. In 2014, the company debuted its NITID^TM skin imaging system. Recently approved by regulatory bodies in Europe and now being commercialized by the company’s spinout DermaLumics, it is the first point-of-care OCT imaging device that can produce dynamic, real-time, high-resolution diagnostic images with tissue penetration capability of up to two millimeters.

Source: BusinessWire