Medtronic Augments its Cardiac Ablation Portfolio With Two Strategic Investments

Medtronic plc today announced strategic investments in two privately held companies developing intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter technologies.

ICE catheters provide real-time, high-resolution heart imaging during electrophysiology (EP) procedures for cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (Afib). Medtronic wants to integrate ICE into the Affera mapping and ablation system to continue building on the Affera ecosystem’s differentiated value proposition.

The investments include Beluga Medical, a California-based premarket-stage company developing a next-generation ICE product, and CardioACC, an early commercial-stage company located in Shenzhen, China. CardioACC received National Medical Products Administration approval for its ICE system last year.

“The growth of our business demonstrates the demand for better technologies in electrophysiology, and we are leaning into opportunities that support our long-term portfolio roadmap,” said Rebecca Seidel, president of the Cardiac Ablation Solutions business, which is part of Medtronic’s Cardiovascular Portfolio. “ICE catheters are an important component of ablation procedures today, and we intend for our Affera platform to evolve to include this capability. These investments represent another step to support expansion of our leadership position in EP as we work to bring new and innovative technologies to each market.”

The investments in cardiac ablation continue the recent cadence of strategic transactions at Medtronic to strengthen the company’s leadership within its core franchises. Medtronic continues to prioritize high-growth opportunities to complement its core businesses and deliver sustained value for physicians and hospital partners.

“Intracardiac echocardiography has become a procedural essential in electrophysiology, giving physicians real-time visualization that can support more confident decision-making throughout an ablation case,” said Khaldoun Tarakji, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer, Cardiac Ablation Solutions business, which is part of Medtronic’s Cardiovascular Portfolio. “By investing in ICE technologies, we are strategically positioning ourselves to evolve and strengthen the Affera ecosystem over time, with the goal of continuing to advance integrated imaging and mapping workflows, improve procedural efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for patients.”

Both ICE catheter companies will continue to operate independently.

Medtronic claims it was the first company to offer two pulsed field ablation (PFA) innovations. The PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation System provides physicians with a safe, single-shot solution for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and is now available in more than 35 countries.

Sphere-9 reportedly is the only all-in-one, dual-energy mapping and ablation catheter for treating persistent AFib and concomitant CTI-dependent atrial flutter. The Affera system, together with the Sphere-9 catheter, enables physician treatment flexibility with its wide-area focal design and 9 mm lattice. Sphere-9 is approved in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, with global expansion ongoing. 

The Sphere-360 catheter is approved in Europe and is an investigational device in the United States.

Headquartered in Galway, Ireland, Medtronic is the world’s largest global healthcare technology company that employs more than 95,000 workers across more than 150 countries. Its technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. The company delivers technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day.