Until recently, arrhythmia mapping technologies have primarily focused on elucidating the electrical properties of atrial fibrillation (AFib), namely, the voltage amplitude of underlying cardiac substrate and the propagation pattern of the arrhythmia wavefront. While this approach has been helpful in identifying areas of diseased tissue beyond the PVs, ablation of these abnormal areas has not substantively improved outcomes in patients with persistent AFib, writes Edward Chu, MD.

Enter Acutus Medical, a newcomer to the arrhythmia mapping industry, that is taking a different approach to mapping AFib that examines the charge dipole density of the arrhythmia wavefront and the contractility of the underlying substrate. By correlating the electrical and mechanical properties of atrial activity, this approach may ultimately discover the non-PV triggers that drive persistent AFib. Read more.

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