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2025 AF Symposium
Multi-Electrode Catheter for Pulsed Field Ablation
30th Anniversary of the AF Symposium—Tribute to Dr. Jeremy Ruskin
Dr. Pierre Jais began his talk by sharing his experience of attending the first AF Symposium. Back in 1995 “the concept of AF Ablation was almost nothing” on the world stage. He paid tribute to Dr. Jeremy Ruskin who had the vision and energy to start the AF Symposium 30 years ago.
Dr. Pierre Jais
Dr. Pierre Jais of Central Hospital in Bordeaux, France (LYRIC) gave a talk on “Multi-Electrode vs Large Focal Catheter for Pulsed Field Ablation.”
He discussed the importance of catheter design when performing a Pulse Field Ablation (PFA).
In particular, efficiency translates into the amount of power which actually goes to the heart tissue. He explained that with a typical circular catheter much of the power goes into the blood and can produce hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells).
Abbott 16 Electrode Advisor HD Grid catheter
Advisor HD Grid Mapping Catheter, Sensor Enabled (Abbott)
In contrast is the Abbott 16 electrode Advisor HD Grid catheter with more of the Pulsed Field Ablation power going to the actual heart tissue. (In practice it is paired with the Abbott EnSite™ X EP System.)
The 16 electrodes are relatively small compared to many catheters today.
The Advisor HD Grid catheter is a high-density mapping device which creates detailed maps of the heart’s electrical activity and ablates heart tissue.
Dr. Jais showed how lesion depth can be increased by more than one delivery of energy from the Advisor HD Grid catheter.
It produces reliable data when held in any direction and identifies and targets areas responsible for abnormal heart rhythms.
Dr Jais said using the Abbott 16 electrode Advisor HD Grid catheter with Pulsed Field Ablation offers more precise and effective treatment not possible today with RF ablation.
Editor’s Comments
With the Abbott all-in-one Advisor HD Grid catheter, Electrophysiologists (EPs) can use it to both map and ablate tissue. It creates detailed maps of the heart’s electrical activity allowing the EP to identify, target and then ablate A-Fib-producing areas in the heart.
It’s an important new tool for electrophysiologists (EPs) (performing Pulsed Field Ablations) and will likely produce better results for patients, i.e., increased 12-month freedom from atrial arrhythmias and reduction in re-do procedures.
What A-Fib Patients Need to Know: As patients we need to be aware of “hemolysis”—the destruction of red blood cells when using, for example, circular catheters which can “cook” blood.
Much of the power from a circular catheter goes into the blood rather than to the heart tissue that needs to be ablated. The Advisor HD Grid catheter directs Pulse Field energy to specific A-Fib signal sources rather than spreading to and needlessly harming red blood cells.
Ask Your EP About Hemolysis. If you are having a Pulse Field Ablation, ask your EP about hemolysis. It may be a risk for certain patients, or it may not have much of a lasting effect depending on the catheter used.
