The first patient has been enrolled in a study at Ascension St. Vincent’s to evaluate the effectiveness of a noninvasive tool that allows doctors to visualize irregular heartbeats, according to a Sept. 9 news release.
The tool is cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The new equipment is called vMap and uses a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify where irregular heart rhythms are originating from within the heart.
More than 6 million Americans have atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is an often rapid, irregular heartbeat. It can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
“By providing a non-invasive view of arrhythmia drivers before and during procedures, vMap has the potential to help us target ablation more effectively, shorten procedure times, and reduce fluoroscopy exposure,” said Dr. Saumil Oza, cardiac electrophysiologist at Ascension St. Vincent’s, in the release.
vMap was developed by Vektor Medical. It can localize both focal and fibrillation-type arrhythmias in all four chambers of the heart in less than 60 seconds.
“We’re grateful to Ascension St. Vincent’s for participating in the study and leading patient enrollment,” said Rob Krummen, CEO of Vektor Medical, in the release.
“The data generated from the study will help physicians better identify how vMap can improve patient outcomes and enhance procedural efficiencies.”