Third-Generation Cryoballoon Designed to Allow Enhanced Positioning and Help Improve Capture of Real-Time Data with Achieve® Mapping Catheter

DUBLIN - Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today announced the Arctic Front Advance® ST Cryoablation Catheter has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of patients with drug refractory, recurrent, symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In Europe, where the Cryoballoon has a broader indication, Arctic Front Advance ST Cryoballoon has received CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation. An integral part of the Arctic Front Advance® System, the third-generation cryoballoon has a 40 percent shorter tip than the previous generation, designed to help physicians visualize ablation success in real-time with the Achieve® Mapping Catheter, as well as allow increased maneuverability for accessing some pulmonary vein anatomies.

The first patient was recently treated with the Arctic Front Advance ST Cryoballoon by Prof. Karl-Heinz Kuck, M.D., director of cardiology at Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Hamburg, Germany. The product will be broadly available to physicians in fall 2015 following a limited market release.


The Arctic Front Advance ST Cryoballoon is used in a minimally invasive procedure to isolate the pulmonary veins, which are a source of erratic electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation. The device uses coolant rather than heat (radiofrequency). Cryoballoon technology is associated with shorter procedure times than point-by-point radiofrequency ablation1, 2, and better treatment outcomes than drug therapies on the market3. The Arctic Front Advance System has been shown to improve quality of life for patients and significantly reduce paroxysmal (sporadic) atrial fibrillation symptoms, with patients experiencing reduction in atrial fibrillation episodes, palpitations, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, swelling, and syncope4, and has become a widely adopted treatment for atrial fibrillation.

"I have had the opportunity to utilize the cryoballoon technology since its inception more than a decade ago," said Prof. Kuck. "By building upon clinical feedback from physicians worldwide, the third-generation system offers the potential for more real-time data and even better maneuverability that may further enhance the procedure."

"The next-generation Arctic Front Advance ST Cryoballoon builds upon the successful performance of the Arctic Front Advance System, and its shorter tip was designed in response to physicians' needs in a real-world, clinical setting," said Reggie Groves, vice president and general manager of the AF Solutions business, part of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic.

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