AnchorCat: Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE) Catheter Fixation Device
Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheters play a critical role in providing visualization during cardiac procedures. Currently, the ICE catheter requires continuous manual support to maintain stable imaging, often necessitating a second operator and prolonging procedure time. We present AnchorCat, a novel fixation device for ICE catheters used in cardiac ablation procedures. Designed to secure the catheter handle and enable precise positional adjustments, AnchorCat improves imaging stability and reduces the need for continuous manual support. High-fidelity prototypes were manufactured and tested in simulated cardiac models, demonstrating minimal rotational and translational drift within clinical targets. Physician feedback confirmed an ergonomics score of 4.63/5, and successful testing in a porcine model validated the device's clinical potential. AnchorCat offers a promising solution to enhance procedural efficiency and visualization during cardiac ablations.
Authors
- Volker Lang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4943-5246)
- Su‐Min Jeong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9588-1928)
- Sheng Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2024-2432)
- Alexi B. Pierre-Louis
- Jonathan T. Makhoul (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0996-7914)
- Alice Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3738-6851)
Publication Details
- Journal
- IEEE Pulse
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/mpuls.2025.3572598
- Primary Topic
- Cardiovascular and Diving-Related Complications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00