Development of a Simultaneous Cryo-Anchoring and Radiofrequency Ablation Catheter for Percutaneous Treatment of Mitral Valve Prolapse

Abstract

Mitral valve prolapse is one subtype of mitral valve disease and is characterized by enlarged leaflets that are often thickened and have disrupted collagen architecture. The increased surface area of leaflets with mitral valve prolapse leads to mitral regurgitation, and there is need for percutaneous treatment options that avoid open-chest surgery. Radiofrequency ablation is one potential therapy in which resistive heating can be used to reduce leaflet size via collagen contracture. One challenge of using radiofrequency ablation to percutaneously treat mitral valve prolapse is maintaining contact between the radiofrequency ablation catheter tip and a functioning mitral valve leaflet. To meet this challenge, a radiofrequency ablation catheter was developed with a cryogenic anchor for attachment to leaflets. The effectiveness of the dual-energy catheter was demonstrated in vitro by examining changes in leaflet biaxial compliance, thermal distribution with infrared imaging, and cryogenic anchor strength. The results indicate that a catheter having combined radiofrequency ablation and cryo-anchoring provides a novel percutaneous treatment strategy for mitral valve prolapse.