2018 AF Symposium: Innovative iCLAS Cyro Catheter by Adagio Medical

by Steve S. Ryan, PhD.

I knew it was something special by the incredibly high-powered, renowned presenters: two of the most important people in the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation―Dr. James Cox of the original Cox Maze operation and Prof. Michel Haissaguerre of the original PVI catheter ablation.

iCLAS catheter (Continuous Lesion Ablation System) by Adagio Medical

One of the most fascinating presentations at the Product Theatre on Friday, January 12, was about the innovative, ultra-low temperature iCLAS catheter. Dr. Hugh Calkins of Johns Hopkins was the session moderator. The panel of presenters were:

• James Cox of NW Feinberg Sch. of Medicine in Chicago, IL
• Professor Michel Haissaguerre of the Bordeaux LIRYC group
• Tom de Potter of the Cardiovascular Center in Aalst, Belgium
• Lucas Boersma of AMC/U. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Alex Babkin, Chief Technical Officer of Adagio Medical

One Catheter. Unlimited Shapes.

Examples of the many different configurations of the iCLAS

The iCLAS catheter is a Cryo catheter that uses ultra-low temperatures and is unlike anything currently on the market. The catheter can be manipulated into many different configurations depending on the lesions which need to be made.

When I visited the Adagio booth, it was fascinating to see how easily the catheter could be designed into unlimited profiles.

Using its full length, the catheter can produce ultra low temperatures along its whole span (110mm). It has 20 electrodes which can also produce cryo-mapping of the atria.

For Flutter Ablations in the Caviotricuspid Isthmus in the right atrium, a shorter catheter is used with a continuous length of 54mm. It can also do Focal Tip Ablations. (The temperatures are so cold they use a heating balloon in the esophagus to prevent any damage.)

About Adagio Medical, Inc.: It’s a privately held medical device company founded in 2011 by Dr. James Cox and Mr. Olav Bergheim. It uses liquid nitrogen to produce ultra-low temperature lesions and developed Near Critical Nitrogen (NCN) technology which permits liquid nitrogen to be used in catheters inside the heart.

VIDEO Animation: iCLAS Catheter by Adagio Medical

Check out this excellent animation of the ultra-low temperature iCLAS catheter. With titles and music, illustrates examples of the creation of long and continuous lesions with full transmurality via endocardial approach with small size catheters (≤9Fr). (1:45) Produced by Adagio Medical, Inc.

YouTube video playback controls: When watching this video, you have several playback options. Settings (speed/quality) are located in the lower right portion of the frame, along with the option to enlarge video to full frame. 

Editor’s Comments:

Why is the iCLAS Cryo catheter special and innovative? The iCLAS catheter produces ablation lesions like current CryoBalloon catheters but at lower temperatures (colder). One would expect that such ultra-low Cryo lesions would be deeper, more transmural, and more lasting. In addition, the ability to produce unlimited shapes gives the iCLAS catheter a unique ability to position Cryo lesions in a variety of locations in the heart. It will make ablations much simpler and easier for EPs.

Historical! Attendees at this AF Symposium presentation were amazed and astounded by the possibilities of the iCLAS system. Endorsed by Dr. James Cox and Prof. Michel Haissaguerre, it was a historical breakthrough moment that few present will ever forget.

Next Great Breakthrough in Treating A-Fib! The iCLAS ultra-low temperature catheter with its unique ability to configure in unlimited shapes is the next great breakthrough in treating A-Fib! Barring any unforeseen problems with approval by the FDA, it will become the treatment of choice for ablating A-Fib/Flutter. (You heard it here first, folks!)

If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Wednesday, February 28, 2018

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