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Catheter for ablation of common arrhythmia type

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Develop a catheter used as treatment for AVNRT arrhythmias that combines the benefits of cryotherapy with radiofrequency ablation to deliver a more efficient and effective method for treating cardiac arrhythmias.

Project Overview

AVNRT is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia in adults. It affects 22.5 out of 10,000 people and can affect anyone at all ages. In most cases, AVNRT causes episodes of abnormally fast heart beats which range from 140-280. If severe cases are left untreated this can cause sudden cardiac arrest. Ablation treatment, either cryoablation or radiofrequency, will eliminate these episodes and prevent the risk of cardiac arrest. Both methods individually have their advantages and disadvantages. Cryoablation is able to adhere to tissue which increases its stability and accuracy to target spots to scar. However, with such a cold temperature the technique takes longer as it needs to cool down in between each scar to detach from tissue and reattach at a new location. This adds a lot of time to the overall procedure. This technique is also less permanent with the ability to reverse scarring on its own. Radiofrequency ablation creates a permanent burn in the tissue to stop electrical current. It is a faster technique as it can reach the wanted temperature faster and does not need a cool down. However this faster technique comes with more risk as it can not adhere to tissue which can cause movement with each heartbeat. There are no catheters that combine more than one ablation technique. Currently ablation catheters lack the ability to decrease overall procedure time with permanent scarring while limiting the risk to the patient. The goal of this semester is to create an ablation catheter that combines two techniques, cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation, to maximize the efficiency and safety of ablation.

Team Picture

Poster Presentation: Jade, Kolby, Dr. Nick Von Bergan, Sophie, Elise, Anna, Carson
Poster Presentation: Jade, Kolby, Dr. Nick Von Bergan, Sophie, Elise, Anna, Carson

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