St Jude Medical bi-directional ablation catheters get FDA approval

St Jude Medical’s new irrigated ablation catheters - the Safire BLU Bi-directional Irrigated Ablation Catheter and the Therapy Cool Path bi-directional ablation catheter have received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

St Jude Medical said the catheters have several key design features when compared to other commercially available irrigated ablation systems, and a choice of handles.

The Safire BLU and Therapy Cool Path ablation catheters are designed with an irrigated catheter tip to reduce some of the risk factors associated with the heat of the radiofrequency (RF) energy.

The Safire BLU and Therapy Cool Path irrigated ablation catheters feature a bi-directional deflection capability that allows physicians to reach challenging anatomic locations.

The bi-directional steering in these catheters is complemented by a shaft that is designed to transmit torque (or turning force) from the steering handle to the catheter tip.

Physicians have the flexibility to choose the handle style that they prefer – the ComfortGrip for the Safire BLU catheter or push/pull style handle for the Therapy Cool Path catheter.