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Chun KRJ, Miklavčič D, Vlachos K, Bordignon S, Scherr D, Jais P, Schmidt B. State-of-the-art pulsed field ablation for cardiac arrhythmias: ongoing evolution and future perspective. Europace 2024; 26:euae134. [PMID: 38848447 PMCID: PMC11160504 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is an innovative approach in the field of cardiac electrophysiology aimed at treating cardiac arrhythmias. Unlike traditional catheter ablation energies, which use radiofrequency or cryothermal energy to create lesions in the heart, PFA utilizes pulsed electric fields to induce irreversible electroporation, leading to targeted tissue destruction. This state-of-the-art review summarizes biophysical principles and clinical applications of PFA, highlighting its potential advantages over conventional ablation methods. Clinical data of contemporary PFA devices are discussed, which combine predictable procedural outcomes and a reduced risk of thermal collateral damage. Overall, these technological developments have propelled the rapid evolution of contemporary PFA catheters, with future advancements potentially impacting patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Ryul Julian Chun
- CCB Frankfurt, Med. Klinik III, Markuskrankenhaus, Wilhelm-Epstein Str. 4, 60431 Frankfurt, Germany
- Klinik für Rhythmologie, UKSH, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Laboratory of Biocybernetics, University of Ljubljana, Trzaska cesta 25, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Konstantinos Vlachos
- Site Hôpital Xavier Arnozan, Bordeaux University Hospital, University of Bordeaux, Avenue du Haut-Lévêque, –Pessac, France
| | - Stefano Bordignon
- CCB Frankfurt, Med. Klinik III, Markuskrankenhaus, Wilhelm-Epstein Str. 4, 60431 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Scherr
- Klinische Abteilung für Kardiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, 8036 Graz, Austria
| | - Pierre Jais
- Site Hôpital Xavier Arnozan, Bordeaux University Hospital, University of Bordeaux, Avenue du Haut-Lévêque, –Pessac, France
| | - Boris Schmidt
- CCB Frankfurt, Med. Klinik III, Markuskrankenhaus, Wilhelm-Epstein Str. 4, 60431 Frankfurt, Germany
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Cvetkoska A, Maček-Lebar A, Polajžer T, Reberšek M, Upchurch W, Iaizzo PA, Sigg DC, Miklavčič D. The Effects of Interphase and Interpulse Delays and Pulse Widths on Induced Muscle Contractions, Pain and Therapeutic Efficacy in Electroporation-Based Therapies. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 10:490. [PMID: 38132658 PMCID: PMC10744272 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10120490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Electroporation is used in medicine for drug and gene delivery, and as a nonthermal ablation method in tumor treatment and cardiac ablation. Electroporation involves delivering high-voltage electric pulses to target tissue; however, this can cause effects beyond the intended target tissue like nerve stimulation, muscle contractions and pain, requiring use of sedatives or anesthetics. It was previously shown that adjusting pulse parameters may mitigate some of these effects, but not how these adjustments would affect electroporation's efficacy. We investigated the effect of varying pulse parameters such as interphase and interpulse delay while keeping the duration and number of pulses constant on nerve stimulation, muscle contraction and assessing pain and electroporation efficacy, conducting experiments on human volunteers, tissue samples and cell lines in vitro. Our results show that using specific pulse parameters, particularly short high-frequency biphasic pulses with short interphase and long interpulse delays, reduces muscle contractions and pain sensations in healthy individuals. Higher stimulation thresholds were also observed in experiments on isolated swine phrenic nerves and human esophagus tissues. However, changes in the interphase and interpulse delays did not affect the cell permeability and survival, suggesting that modifying the pulse parameters could minimize adverse effects while preserving therapeutic goals in electroporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Cvetkoska
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Alenka Maček-Lebar
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Tamara Polajžer
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Matej Reberšek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Weston Upchurch
- Visible Heart® Laboratories, Department of Surgery and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.U.); (P.A.I.)
| | - Paul A. Iaizzo
- Visible Heart® Laboratories, Department of Surgery and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.U.); (P.A.I.)
| | - Daniel C. Sigg
- Cardiac Ablation Solutions, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55432, USA;
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
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Marashly Q, Najjar SN, Hahn J, Rector GJ, Khawaja M, Chelu MG. Innovations in ventricular tachycardia ablation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2023; 66:1499-1518. [PMID: 35879516 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-022-01311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) has evolved significantly over the past decade and is currently a well-established therapeutic option. Technological advances and improved understanding of VA mechanisms have led to tremendous innovations in VA ablation. The purpose of this review article is to provide an overview of current innovations in VA ablation. Mapping techniques, such as ultra-high density mapping, isochronal late activation mapping, and ripple mapping, have provided improved arrhythmogenic substrate delineation and potential procedural success while limiting duration of ablation procedure and potential hemodynamic compromise. Besides, more advanced mapping and ablation techniques such as epicardial and intramyocardial ablation approaches have allowed operators to more precisely target arrhythmogenic substrate. Moreover, advances in alternate energy sources, such as electroporation, as well as stereotactic radiation therapy have been proposed to be effective and safe. New catheters, such as the lattice and the saline-enhanced radiofrequency catheters, have been designed to provide deeper and more durable tissue ablation lesions compared to conventional catheters. Contact force optimization and baseline impedance modulation are important tools to optimize VT radiofrequency ablation and improve procedural success. Furthermore, advances in cardiac imaging, specifically cardiac MRI, have great potential in identifying arrhythmogenic substrate and evaluating ablation success. Overall, VA ablation has undergone significant advances over the past years. Innovations in VA mapping techniques, alternate energy source, new catheters, and utilization of cardiac imaging have great potential to improve overall procedural safety, hemodynamic stability, and procedural success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qussay Marashly
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Salim N Najjar
- Division of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Suite A6.137, MS: BCM621, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joshua Hahn
- Division of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Suite A6.137, MS: BCM621, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Graham J Rector
- Division of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Suite A6.137, MS: BCM621, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Muzamil Khawaja
- Division of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Suite A6.137, MS: BCM621, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Mihail G Chelu
- Division of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Suite A6.137, MS: BCM621, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Houston, USA.
- Texas Heart Institute, Houston, USA.
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Ravi V, Winterfield J, Liang J, Larsen T, Dye C, Sanders D, Skeete J, Payne J, Trohman RG, Aksu T, Sharma PS, Huang HD. Solving the Reach Problem: A Review of Present and Future Approaches for Addressing Ventricular Arrhythmias Arising from Deep Substrate. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev 2023; 12:e04. [PMID: 37600155 PMCID: PMC10433105 DOI: 10.15420/aer.2022.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies. In most patients, the primary strategy of VT catheter ablation is based on the identification of critical components of reentry circuits and modification of abnormal substrate which can initiate reentry. Despite technological advancements in catheter design and improved ability to localise abnormal substrates, putative circuits and site of origins of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), current technologies remain inadequate and durable success may be elusive when the critical substrate is deep or near to critical structures that are at risk of collateral damage. In this article, we review the available and potential future non-surgical investigational approaches for treatment of VAs and discuss the viability of these modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesh Ravi
- Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulsa, OK, US
| | - Jeffrey Winterfield
- Department of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, US
| | - Jackson Liang
- Department of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
| | - Timothy Larsen
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - Cicely Dye
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - David Sanders
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - Jamario Skeete
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - Josh Payne
- Department of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
| | - Richard G Trohman
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - Tolga Aksu
- Department of Cardiology, Yeditepe University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Parikshit S Sharma
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
| | - Henry D Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, US
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Electroporation Parameters for Human Cardiomyocyte Ablation In Vitro. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022; 9:jcdd9080240. [PMID: 36005404 PMCID: PMC9409892 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd9080240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac ablation with irreversible electroporation (IRE) is quickly being established as a modality of choice for atrial fibrillation treatment. While it has not yet been optimised, IRE has the potential to significantly limit collateral damage and improve cell-specific targeting associated with other energy sources. However, more tissue and cell-specific evidence is required to demonstrate the selective threshold parameters for human cells. The aim here is to determine the optimal ablation threshold parameters related to lesion size for human cardiomyocytes in 2D culture. Conventional biphasic pulses of different field strengths and on-times were delivered in a monolayer culture system of human AC16 cardiomyocytes. The dynamics of cell death and lesion dimensions were examined at different time points. Human cardiomyocytes are susceptible to significant electroporation and cell death at a field strength of 750 V/cm or higher with 100 μs pulses. Increasing the IRE on-time from 3 ms to 60 ms reduces the effective field threshold to 250 V/cm. Using very short pulses of 2 μs and 5 μs also causes significant cell death, but only at fields higher than 1000 V/cm. A longer on-time results in more cell death and induced greater lesion area in 2D models. In addition, different forms of cell death are predicted based on the evolution of cell death over time. This study presents important findings on the ability of different IRE parameters to induce human cardiomyocyte cell death. Lesion size can be tuned by appropriate choice of IRE parameters and cardiomyocytes display an upregulation of delayed cell death 24 h after electroporation, which is an important consideration for clinical practice.
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