Hungarian hospital debuts Imricor’s MRI-guided mapping technology

A procedure has now been performed using Imricor’s 3D mapping system in a prominent Hungarian hospital.

The procedure was an atrial flutter ablation, guided by real-time MRI using Imricor’s platform of devices, including the NorthStar 3D mapping system. Pic: Getty Images.

• The first procedure performed using Imricor’s platform of devices in Hungary has taken place this week

• Procedure performed by Semmelweis, a highly regarded team known for advanced electrophysiology services and commitment to cutting-edge treatments

• Imaging and mapping system designed to enable higher success rates with faster, safer treatments compared to conventional methods.

Special Report: In a new step toward European expansion, the first atrial flutter ablations procedure guided by real-time MRI using Imricor’s platform of devices in Hungary has taken place at the Semmelweis University’s Heart and Vascular Centre in Budapest.

Imricor (ASX:IMR) has welcomed the further deployment of its technology, which is designed to improve medical intervention procedures by using real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance, rather than traditional x-ray fluoroscopy guidance.

The company is confident its tech is safer and more cost effective, offering higher success rates due to the increased detail offered, particularly in soft tissues and organs, without the use of ionizing radiation.

Imricor chair and CEO Steve Wedan said he was thrilled to have another world-class medical institution begin real-time MRI-guided ablation procedures, and excited to expand IMR’s installed base into Hungary.

“With our European sales team nearly fully staffed, we are looking forward to continued expansion and growth across Europe, including adding additional sites to our VISABL-VT trial, where we expect the power of real-time periprocedural magnetic resonance imaging to improve patient outcomes and lower procedure times, all in an environment that is 100% free of dangerous ionising radiation,” Wedan said.

“That’s our mission.”

What are cardiac catheter ablation procedures?

Cardiac catheter ablation procedures are a type of minimally invasive procedure used to treat abnormal heart rhythms.

It involves guiding thin, flexible catheters (tubes) through blood vessels to the heart and using heat or cold to create small scars that disrupt faulty electrical signals which cause irregular heartbeat.

The procedure is typically guided by x-ray imaging, but x-rays are better suited for visualising bone structures and hard tissues.

The Vision-MR Ablation Catheter is Imricor’s primary offering, designed to work under real-time MRI guidance with the goal of offering better soft tissue imaging without exposure to ionising radiation through x-ray imaging.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

Originally published as Hungarian hospital debuts Imricor’s MRI-guided mapping technology