Stereotaxis, Inc., a global leader in innovative technologies for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, announced the first procedures performed in the US with its Vmotion suite of automation features. Cleared by the FDA this past June, Vmotion enables automatic orientation of a magnetically compatible intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter in conjunction with the V-Sono ICE catheter manipulator.
Widely used in the US, particularly with atrial fibrillation cases, the ICE catheter provides ultrasound imaging of the heart during electrophysiology (EP) procedures. The Vdrive with V-Sono system, released in the US in 2013, remotely controls an ICE catheter in a Niobe ES remote magnetic navigation enabled procedure. The V-Sono system can improve patient outcomes through more precise, stable ultrasound imaging and reduces radiation exposure to the EP team by eliminating the need for manual ICE manipulation within the radiation field. Vmotion supports the V-Sono manipulator functionality through three unique automation features: Spotlight, which continually keeps the ablation catheter tip within the ICE viewing plane automatically; Stored Positions, which allows for positions of the ICE catheter to be recalled and returned to throughout the procedure; and Sweep, which enables the ultrasound field of view to continuously sweep across an area of interest defined by the user.
"The combination of Vmotion and the V-Sono system greatly enhances my ability to visualise, in real-time, the tip-to-tissue contact of the ablation catheter throughout procedures using the Niobe system," said Michael Porter, M.D., Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO.
"This is a significant advancement in improving the effectiveness of therapy delivery and reducing reliance on fluoroscopy. Stereotaxis continually delivers on its promise to support EP physicians with groundbreaking products and features that allow us to focus on patients rather than the complex mechanics of the ablation procedure."
To date, the Vmotion suite has been installed in two US sites, Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.