J&J introduces new bi-directional catheter

Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) new EZ Steer ThermoCool catheter, manufactured by Biosense Webster, is a unique bi-directional catheter with an open irrigation tip available in the EU. The new catheter is designed to reduce char and thrombus formation during ablation and give physicians improved range of motion during procedures to eliminate abnormal heart rhythms.

The British Standards Institution approved the EZ Steer ThermoCool bi-directional catheter for marketing in March 2008 and the company has now introduced it throughout the EU.

According to the company, the ThermoCool irrigated tip catheter technology is designed to maintain safe tip-to-tissue temperatures, ultimately reducing the risk of coagulum and char from high-temperature ablation.

Dipen Shah, professor in University Hospital at Geneva, Switzerland, said: “The bidirectional steerability allows the achievement of excellent tissue contact not only by active tip flexion but also by active tip extension. In my opinion, this is a significant improvement, particularly for complex ablation.”