Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39377574›Full record

ArticleJournal of cardiovascular electrophysiology2024

Comparison of efficiency of PFA catheter designs by computer modeling.

Andres Belalcazar, E Kevin Heist

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Practical guide on the use of the PulseSelect pulsed field ablation system for atrial fibrillation ablation procedures.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Pulmonary vein isolation durability in a randomized trial comparing fluoroscopy-only vs. electroanatomic mapping strategies for pulmonary vein isolation with balloon-in-basket pulsed-field ablation.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Trial
  3. Ablation with the circular pulsed field ablation catheter: Tips & techniques for using the PulseSelect catheter.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Review
  4. Variable-loop circular vs. Pentaspline catheter: hemolysis outcomes in pulsed-field ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Article
  5. Catheter Design Matters: Hemolysis and Renal Function after Pulsed Field Ablation with Balloon-in-Basket vs. Pentaspline Systems.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Article
  6. Circumstances and clinical significance of cardiac troponin T elevation following transvenous lead extraction.Postepy w kardiologii interwencyjnej = Advances in interventional cardiology · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Controversy: pulsed field ablation is the standard technique for all the candidates for atrial fibrillation ablation.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Comparison of efficiency of PFA catheter designs by computer modeling.Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Andres BelalcazarBiophysicist, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4190-7306
E Kevin HeistCardiac Arrhythmia Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionVarious catheter designs are appearing for Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA). It is unclear if they differ in terms of safety and efficiency. PFA studies have reported hemolysis, kidney injury, high troponin, among other side effects.

methodsUsing a CT-derived computer model, we compared catheter designs using two metrics: (1) efficiency: power delivered to an atrial wall target, expressed as a percent of total generator power; and (2) safety: electric current to achieve 90% transmurality (since more energy causes more collateral effects), as well as the corresponding electrode current density (ECD), a heat and bubble metric. The following catheter designs were compared: penta-spline basket, Nitinol spheres (focal 9 mm and large 1-shot), circular, balloon, and flex-circuit. Target was a 6 × 47 mm circumferential segment of atrial wall at LPV antrum. Transmurality was defined as percent of target having >600 volts per centimeter (V/cm) electric field needed for electroporation.

resultsEfficiency was 0.9, 1.4, 2.7, 5.9, 10, and 12% for the large 1-shot and 9 mm Nitinol spheres, penta-spline, circular, flex spline, and balloon catheters, respectively. Regarding safety, currents for 90% transmurality were 70, 39,36,12.5, 5.3, and 4 Amps for the same respective catheters, with less being safer. ECD was 124, 25, 74, 83, 41, and 31 A/cm

conclusionComputer models demonstrated a remarkable range in efficiency among catheters studied. Those having less atrial blood exposure had the highest efficiencies, with factors of up to 13X more efficiency compared to exposed ones. Higher efficiency designs have less collateral current and are safer. Confirmatory in-vivo studies are required.

Indexed as

Cardiac CathetersCatheter AblationEquipment DesignModels, CardiovascularAlloysComputer SimulationHeart AtriaHumansTomography, X-Ray ComputedAlloysatrial Fibrillationelectroporationpulmonary vein isolationpulsed field ablation

Identifiers

PMID39377574
PMCPMC11650406

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.