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Innovative concept from Freiburg researchers aims to make cardiac catheterization procedures after heart attacks even safer

The team led by Dr. Enaam Chleilat from the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg received the "Most Promising Medical Technology Award" for a novel cardiac catheter concept at the MedFIT medical technology conference in Strasbourg in mid-October. The concept is designed to prevent dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, which occur in around ten percent of all heart attack patients following a cardiac catheterization procedure.

"The award encourages us that we are on the right track. Even if it will still take some time before patients can benefit from this development," says Chleilat, who developed the concept together with Prof. Dr. Peter Kohl, Head of the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM) at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and member of the Faculty of Medicine of Freiburg, and Dr. Callum Zgierski-Johnston, Head of the Bioinstrumentation Research Group at the IEKM.

Electric shocks, like ghost drivers on the heart

The award-winning project aims to solve a critical problem that occurs in one in ten heart attack patients during the reopening of a blocked heart vessel. The restored blood flow creates an electrical pathway in the heart muscle that runs like a highway through the affected tissue. This can cause the electrical excitation to travel in the wrong direction like a wrong-way driver on the highway - and thus cause serious complications.

The new catheter is intended to stop this misdirected electrical excitation without impeding the regular oxygen supply. There should be no change in handling for medical staff compared to current models. The principle of the new catheter has already been confirmed in the laboratory and a patent has already been applied for. The new catheter is being developed in partnership with a medical technology company in Baden-Württemberg.

Picture caption: Dr. Enaam Chleilat at the Innovation Award ceremony.
Image source: Valentine Delabie -MedFIT Event Communication Manager

Video: Wrong direction:If the electrical excitation spreads back upwards from the apex of the heart after a cardiac catheterization procedure, serious complications can occur - as here in the laboratory experiment.
Video source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg