The new software, Biosense Webster, Inc.'s CartoMerge Image Integration Module, is used with the company's electrophysiological navigation system to merge computed tomography (CT) scan images onto 3-D electro-anatomical maps to achieve a more realistic picture of the heart's anatomy and electrical activities.
"We're using the new technology to improve further the precision of catheter ablation, a non-surgical procedure that destroys tissues that generate abnormal electrical impulses," said Dr. David Wilber, professor of cardiovascular sciences, department of medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine; and director of cardiology, Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill. "For the first time, we can track the movement of the catheter within an exact representation of the patient's heart. As a result, we can move the catheter more confidently and precisely to specific areas of the heart responsible for generating the arrhythmia, improving ablation success and lowering procedure related risks."
All types of arrhythmias can be treated using the new high-tech software in conjunction with the navigation system, but it is especially effective for atrial fibrillation, a disorder of the electrical system in the atria, or upper chambers of the heart. The condition affects more than two million people in the U.S.
With atrial fibrillation, electrical signals are so chaotic and fast that the atria may beat more than 300 times per minute, in comparison with the t
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Contact: Joanne Swanson
jswanson@lumc.edu
708-216-2445
Loyola University Health System
2-Jun-2005