Electrophysiology
Applications of Electrophysiology
Diagnostics: Test electrical activity in the heart to determine the presence and cause of arrhythmias, fibrillation, or other irregularities; detect the risk of cardiac arrest; determine whether an individual with a heart irregularity could benefit from an implant such as a pacemaker.
Therapeutic: Test the efficacy of specific medications and the extent to which catheter ablation should be performed.
Electrophysiology (EP) is a complex interventional cardiology procedure that requires high-precision devices to achieve the desired medical outcomes. EP is not restricted to cardiology and is widely used for minimally invasive procedures in neurology, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology, and ENT.
The design and production of EP catheters are continuously improving. Quasar delivers the latest in design and production technology.
Catheters today are intelligent and must be bio-sensitive, possessing an electrode tip that can act as a single-, bi- or multi-polar electrode to sense electrical activity within the heart. The catheter tip may be equipped with temperature sensors, as well as flow and hemodynamic sensors with high torsion control. These sensors are connected to imaging devices, 3D electro-anatomic virtual mapping systems that can produce internal images of the blood vessels and internal anatomy of the heart. Physicians use these highly sensitive images to diagnose underlying medical conditions and determine the most appropriate therapies and procedures.
Determining the tensile strength, flexibility, and materials used in producing each catheter component is critical, since the catheter will be travelling through a blood vessel into the heart. Quasar delivers the highest level of precision and production quality.
Traditional ablation catheters were simple balloon catheters. Today, cardiac ablation catheters are designed to deliver radio frequencies, ultrasound, lasers, or cryothermal energy in order to create a lesion to address the cause of irregular electrical activity. Another novel technique is the delivery of saline as part of a cooling tip during an ablative procedure to speed up the healing process.
Quasar’s supply-chain efficiencies and partnerships allow us to provide a steady supply of both natural and synthetic materials used in the production of EP Catheters, including:
- Polyether amide blocks: For the extruded shaft
- Platinum and iridium: For the catheter tip and band electrodes
- Cyanoacrylate: As a tip adhesive
- Urethane: As an adhesive
- Polyimide: The lumen and
- Nitinol: For parts such as hooks, which can be extended out of the catheter to act as anchors in the ventricle or atrium
- Woven dacron: A stiff material, but that has been in use for a long time
- Radiopaque materials for fluoroscopy or X-ray-based EP procedures
EP catheters fall under the purview of the FDA’s Class II Medical Devices. Therefore able to demonstrate reasonable safety and efficacy based on the approval of a similar medical device. Novel improvements in design, materials, or manufacturing methods require FDA clearance. With 30 plus years of experience in the field of end-to-end medical device manufacturing and materials science and engineering, Quasar has the ability to produce a wide range of catheters. Quasar helps you design breakthrough devices, handles the entire development life cycle, oversees new product introduction (NPI) approval for marketing, all while maintaining superior quality and compliance regulations.
Quasar’s top-of-the-line supply chain ensures quick delivery, with risk and crisis management plans in place to overcome any external circumstances—essential amidst global uncertainties such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Quasar’s key manufacturing bases are located in both China and Thailand, offering OEMs faster time to market and lower cost per unit. This means huge savings for your organization in the long term.