Boston Scientific received European approval to market the Blazer Open-Irrigated Catheter for use in cardiac radiofrequency ablation procedures. The company is touting the Total Tip Cooling design that works by washing the tip inside and out, keeping it consistently cool to prevent coagulum forming at the tip.
Features from the product page:
For accurate placement of the catheter tip, the catheter curve must form in a smooth continuous movement with no steps or jumps.
The patented, cam-based steering mechanism used in a Blazer Catheter provides continuous deflection, reducing abrupt jumps of the catheter tip during curve formation.
Intuitive control of the catheter tip depends on a constant relationship between rotation of the steering lever and the degree of curve formation.
Dual steering wires attached to the sturdy, flat steering plate of the Blazer Catheter allow in-plane control of curve formation through a near 1-to-1 ratio between the bi-directional steering lever and tip movement. And, the tip deflects inline with the bi-wing lever providing the user with a visual reference of catheter tip plane.
“Torque” is a turning or twisting force. To steer the catheter tip predictably, rotation of the catheter handle (torque of the handle) must be reflected in a 1:1 relationship where rotation of the handle results in the same rotation of the catheter tip.
The components of the Blazer Catheter shaft work together to efficiently transfer rotation of the catheter handle to the tip for predictable movement, reducing twist or “whip.”
During a procedure, is important to recognize tissue resistance to the catheter tip movement. Too much resistance can indicate that further advancement of the tip could lead to tissue perforation. Too little resistance can indicate that the catheter tip is not in solid contact with tissue and ablation will not be efficient.
The combination of steering coil and shaft braid found in a Blazer Catheter transfers tissue resistance efficiently from tip to handle, providing the user with excellent tactile sensitivity during steering and placement of the tip.
Cardiac contractions and respiratory cycles can easily displace the catheter tip from the target site. Lateral contact force, i.e., the force perpendicular to the steering plane, is needed to overcome these physiological movements.
The Blazer Catheter shaft construction allows the transfer of rotational force from the handle to the tip, stabilizing the catheter tip even when the target site is not in the steering plane of the catheter.
To access target sites, the catheter often needs to transverse tortuous vasculature and change directions at acute angles. “Trackability” defines the degree to which a catheter may be advanced through the sheath and the vascular system without blocking, kinking, or bending so as to prevent or inhibit forward motion.
Product page: Blazer Temperature Ablation Catheters…
Flashback: Boston Sci’s Blazer Open-Irrigated Catheter…