J&J MedTech launches PFA Varipulse platform

For the treatment of patients with drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

First 3D cardiac mapping system, CARTO 3, introduced to Korea

Pic of Varipulse

Johnson & Johnson MedTech announced on the 1st that it will launch the Varipulse platform, an arrhythmia treatment solution that uses three-dimensional pulsed field ablation (PFA), in Korea.

 

As the most common arrhythmia in the world, Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a condition in which the atria beat irregularly and rapidly.

 

In particular, the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Korea is on the rise with the aging population.

 

According to the Korean Heart Rhythm Society, the incidence of this disease has increased by about 1.5 times in the last 10 years, and about 1 million people are suffering from atrial fibrillation in Korea.

 

The Varipulse platform is the first 3D pulsed field ablation treatment solution in Korea developed for the treatment of drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

 

PFA has recently gained attention as a treatment for atrial fibrillation and is an innovative treatment that reduces the side effects of conventional radiofrequency ablation and cryoballoon ablation.

 

PFA uses an electric field (pulse field) to selectively remove lesion tissue that causes arrhythmia, minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissue and shortening procedure time and patient recovery time.

 

Currently, Varipulse is the only PFA solution introduced in Korea that has been developed based on a three-dimensional cardiac mapping (3D mapping) system.

 

The technology creates a precise three-dimensional image of the anatomical structure of the left atrium and allows the catheter to be accurately tracked in real-time.

 

The size of the Varipulse Catheter can be adjusted to fit each patient's heart anatomy, allowing for an optimized procedure fit for each patient's heart shape.

 

Also, the Varipulse platform can minimize patient radiation exposure by integrating a 3D cardiac structure mapping function with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to provide real-time images of the heart during PFA therapy.

 

These innovative features are expected to shorten procedure time and significantly improve patient treatment outcomes.

 

“We are pleased to be able to hasten the introduction of the innovative PFA treatment with Varipulse to many atrial fibrillation patients in Korea, following in the United States, Europe, Japan, China, and Canada.

 

We expect that the launch of Varipulse will contribute to the improvement of atrial fibrillation patients and treatment in Korea,” said Jinyong Oh, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson MedTech's North Asia region Oh added, “We will continue to work on fostering a patient-centric treatment environment and introduce innovative solutions to contribute to the development of Korea’s medical field.” Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson MedTech established a medical technique education center for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia at its Yongsan headquarters in Seoul last year, providing education and training to healthcare professionals on procedures related to the treatment of arrhythmia.