St Jude Medical gains EU approval for cardiac mapping system

28 May 2009

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) has gained European CE Mark approval and first use of its EnSite Velocity cardiac mapping system. This new system has been designed to help physicians more efficiently diagnose and deliver therapy to treat abnormal heart rhythms.

Advancements in the EnSite Velocity System’s design are focused on increasing procedural efficiency, from set-up and operation, to clinical application and use.

With new hardware and software, the system offers simple set-up and connections, an intuitive software interface and includes two key new capabilities: the OneMap tool and RealReview function.

The OneMap tool enables physicians to simultaneously create a detailed cardiac model and electrical map using multiple catheters and electrodes, allowing physicians to collect and display more relevant patient information in a shorter amount of time.

The RealReview function provides real-time, side-by-side views of the live procedure and previously recorded portions of the procedure, giving physicians a quick and easy comparison of events and results at different times throughout the procedure, without losing the ability to visualize and navigate catheters in real-time.

“The EnSite Velocity System allows me to efficiently collect anatomical and mapping data with whichever catheter I believe is most appropriate for the procedure. The system’s versatility and catheter choice is important, providing me with enhanced control during the procedure,” said Tony Chow MD, of The Heart Hospital in London.

The new EnSite Velocity System incorporates significant improvements into the design. The EnSite Velocity System continues its longstanding ability to visualize multiple catheters and electrodes and is the only mapping system capable of supporting both contact and non-contact mapping, giving the EnSite Velocity System unmatched versatility in its ability to map any arrhythmia.

Additionally, the EnSite Velocity System is an open platform, which means that it is compatible with essentially all diagnostic and ablation catheters, recording systems and energy sources used for ablation procedures.

“The EnSite Velocity System functions as though it were designed with the entire lab in mind; the simple setup and intuitive operation are incredibly helpful in supporting efficient procedural workflow,” said Christopher Piorkowski MD, of Herzzentrum Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany. “Because my practice has a fast-growing population of patients to serve, such efficiency gains benefit not only my patients but also other members of my team.”

The EnSite Velocity System is used in minimally invasive electrophysiology procedures. Catheters with electrodes are inserted into a cardiac chamber; these electrodes are then located or visualized by the system, which records electrical information from the heart and displays it in a three-dimensional anatomical model.

These highly detailed anatomical models, or maps, enable physicians to diagnose and deliver therapy for abnormal heart rhythms. Like previous models of the EnSite System, the EnSite Velocity System allows catheter navigation to occur without fluoroscopy, thus reducing potential for risks associated with excessive exposure to X-rays.

“The EnSite Velocity Cardiac Mapping System delivers the outstanding performance of the EnSite System, but with a new level of procedural efficiency,” said Jane J. Song, president of the St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division. "As the next generation in cardiac navigation and visualization technology, the EnSite Velocity System is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing lab technology, while having built-in flexibility to allow for integration with future technologies.”

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