Abbott introduces TactiFlex sensor enabled ablation catheter in India
May 14, 2025 | Wednesday | News
World’s first ablation catheter designed with a unique flexible electrode tip and contact force sensing to treat patients with atrial fibrillation
Abbott, the global healthcare company, has announced the launch of the TactiFlex Sensor Enabled Ablation Catheter, the world’s first ablation catheter with a flexible tip and contact force technology.
The heart uses its own electrical system to start up every beat. But if that system breaks down, and the heart beats in an irregular way, that’s arrhythmia. The most common type of irregular heartbeat is called atrial fibrillation, or AFib, for short. It’s caused by electrical impulses that misfire, causing the top chambers, or atria, to quiver or flutter.
Cardiac ablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which a physician accesses the heart through a blood vessel. A catheter (a long, steerable tube) enters the vessel and is placed in the heart where diagnostic devices will be used to determine the area of the heart that needs to be treated. The physician will use the catheter to apply energy to the targeted heart tissue to create small scars. These block the faulty electrical signals that cause the irregular heartbeat. TactiFlex is a catheter used to perform ablation procedures that treat AFib. This device results in reduced procedure times and better safety as compared to the company’s previous generation catheters.
“For those suffering from AFib, daily tasks can be challenging due to dizziness, chest pain and heart palpitations. If left untreated, AFib can also lead to a stroke, making it critical to address the issue as early as possible,” said Henry Cheng, General Manager, Asia and Director Strategy, Asia Pacific for Abbott’s Electrophysiology business. “This device helps doctors restore normal heart rhythms by guiding electrical currents back to their proper pathways.”
“When used with the EnSite X EP System, doctors can accurately map and identify areas of the heart that need treatment, ensuring precise results and better patient outcomes. Unlike other catheters, the TactiFlex catheter uses a tip design with a laser-cut pattern that flexes when in contact with the heart wall. This helps direct fluid to the treated tissue and allows for more accurate positioning of the catheter – providing up to two-times higher stability in a beating heart – for consistent therapy delivery,” said Rahul Sharma, Country Manager for Abbott’s Electrophysiology business in India.
