new tool may halt atrial fibrillation

By Doug Donaldson

A new high-intensity ultrasound tool to correct atrial fibrillation can be used while the patient is awake.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Health Care System are testing the tool.

“This system sits outside of the vein and delivers energy forward, rather than around it, so there is no damage to the inside of the vein,” says David Callans, M.D., the study’s principal investigator. “This maintains a normal blood flow. The new system could shorten the procedure time.”