CardioFocus Inc. HeartLight™ Endoscopic Ablation System to be Featured at EHRA EUROPACE 2011

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announced today that its technology will be the subject of several scientific sessions at the upcoming European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) EUROPACE 2011 congress, June 26-29 in Madrid, Spain.

HeartLight EAS is a unique catheter ablation technology that incorporates an endoscope and illumination to provide physicians with direct visualization within a beating heart, in real time and without radiation. It features a compliant, dynamically adjustable balloon catheter for improved contact with the pulmonary vein (PV) ostium and utilizes laser energy for more efficient, precise ablation. Recent data has demonstrated that approximately 86% of PVs remained persistently isolated after three months following a single procedure with HeartLight EAS, with 65% of patients achieving durable freedom from AF.

“Clinical results with HeartLight EAS throughout Europe have been very promising, and we are excited to showcase our technology at EUROPACE, where catheter ablation will be a major conference topic,” commented Stephen Sagon, President and CEO of CardioFocus, Inc. “We are encouraged by the adoption of the technology by numerous cardiology thought leaders, many of whom are presenting at this congress, and expect to broaden the use of the system in Europe as a new treatment option for atrial fibrillation patients.”

The HeartLight technology will be featured in the following EUROPACE 2011 sessions:

• Mini-Satellite Symposium “Pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation using the laser balloon endoscopic ablation system,” Monday, June 27
  Chaired by Vivek Y. Reddy, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA and featuring presentations by Claudio Tondo, MD, PhD, of Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Milan, Italy and Julian Chun, MD, of Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Frankfurt, Germany

• Abstract Presentation “Is pure visually guided pulmonary vein isolation feasible using an endoscopic ablation system?,” Tuesday, June 28
  Examines the use of HeartLight EAS in patients with drug-refractory atrial fibrillation; presented by Melanie Gunawardene, MD of Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Frankfurt, Germany

• Techno Live Sessions: Live Case “Atrial fibrillation ablation using laser balloon technology,” Tuesday, June 28
  Presented by Vivek Y. Reddy, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA and Petr Neuzil, MD, of Na Homolce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

For more information about HeartLight EAS, please visit the CardioFocus booth #D16.

About CardioFocus, Inc.

CardioFocus, Inc. is a medical device manufacturer dedicated to advancing ablation treatment for cardiac disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Its novel HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System for catheter ablation incorporates an endoscope to provide physicians with the capacity to see within the heart, and for the first time, visually direct the application of laser energy to achieve durable pulmonary vein isolation.

The HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System received CE Mark in 2009 for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, and is commercially available at leading institutions throughout Europe. The device is investigational in the U.S., with a pivotal study expected to commence in 2011. CardioFocus is headquartered in Marlborough, MA. For more information on the company and its technology, please visit www.CardioFocus.com.

The scientific information discussed in this news release is preliminary and investigative. The CardioFocus HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the system. Only FDA can determine whether the product candidates are safe and effective for the use(s) being investigated. Healthcare professionals should refer to/rely upon FDA-approved labeling for the products, and not the information discussed in this news release.

SOURCE CardioFocus, Inc.