Abstract 14356: Flexibility and Contact Force: Improvements of the Next Generation Irrigated Gold-Tip Ablation Catheter for Remote Magnetic Navigation

Introduction: Remote magnetic navigation (RMN) has been proven safe and effective in ablation of arrhythmias. While for manual ablation new irrigation technologies are established in clinical practice , basic design of RMN catheters remained unchanged after initial improvements. Furthermore, distribution and strength of magnets in so far available products seem to be arbitrary and are unsatisfying in terms of flexibility and contact force (CF). For the development of a novel RMN catheter incorporating most recent irrigation technology, all aspects for a new mechanical catheter design were investigated with special focus on CF and flexibility. Hypothesis: Improvements in flexibility and contact force can be achieved by a newly designed magnetic ablation catheter. Methods: 13 different prototypes with various combinations of magnetic volume, magnet position and shaft design all equipped with an irrigated gold-tip were compared to 2 commercially available catheters in an experimental set-up (at 37°C). For CF...