Cryoablation of Atrial Fibrillation Using a Novel Cryoablation System

Primary Endpoint Safety and tolerability of ablation using the AFreeze Cryoablation System consisting of the ablation CoolLoop® catheter, its steerable sheath and the cryoconsole Cryo-Caddy will be assessed and expressed in number of participants with Adverse Events (AEs).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Atrial Fibrillation
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Cryoablation

Detailed Description

Therefore, the primary endpoint will be a measurement of the following parameters and expressed in number of participants with AE:

• deformation of the catheter loop resulting in entrapment of the catheter in the heart and difficulties removing the catheter during visit 3 (treatment)
• phrenic nerve palsy during visit 3 (treatment)- onset and time course between visit 3 (treatment) and visit 5 (discharge) of death, pericardial tamponade, valve damage requiring surgery and hemorrhage requiring transfusion.
• onset and time course between visit 3 (treatment) and visit 9 (final visit) of atrioesophageal fistula, sepsis, abscesses, endocarditis, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis requiring intervention.

Secondary Endpoint

The following parameters will be assessed and expressed in number of participants with AE/duration time:

• feasibility, defined by the ability to position the catheter in the proximal part in each of the PVs using an over-the-wire technique, forming the cryo-applicator of the catheter to a loop by operating the catheter handle, position-ing the loop at the wall of the PV antrum and delivering cryothermia.
• acute efficacy of catheter ablation is defined as the percentage of electrodes within the PV without measureable signals.
• clinical efficacy of catheter ablation defined by freedom of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) four, eight and twelve weeks after ablation.
• procedure time defined from introduction of the CoolLoop® catheter into the left atrium until removal of the CoolLoop® catheter from the left atrium after termination of the last cryoapplication.
• fluoroscopy time defined from introduction of the CoolLoop® catheter into the left atrium until removal of the CoolLoop® catheter from the left atrium after termination of the last cryoapplication.
• cumulative cryoablation time.
• onset and time course between visit 3 (treatment) and visit 5 (discharge) of pneumothorax, hemothorax, femoral pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistulae, hemorrhage not requiring transfusion.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Austria
  • Innsbruck, Austria, 6020
    • Medical University Innsbruck
  • Linz, Austria, 4020
    • AKh Linz

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18 - 70 years
• symptomatic paroxysmal AF, according to the actual guidelines of the Eu-ropean Society of Cardiology, despite treatment with at least one antiarr- hythmic drug
• at least one episode of AF within the last 3 months documented by ECG
• signed and dated informed consent documented by the patient, indicating that the patient has been informed of all the pertinent aspects of the trial prior to study enrollment
• female subjects of childbearing potential can be included, if they: agree to use, and be able to comply with, effective contraception without in-terruption, from study enrollment, throughout hospitalization and until 12 weeks after catheter ablation (day 0, visit 3). This applies unless the subject commits to absolute and continued abstinence. The following are effective methods of contraception:
• Implant,
• Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (IUS),
• Medroxyprogesterone acetate depot,
• Tubal sterilization,
• Sexual intercourse with a vasectomized male partner only; vasectomy must be confirmed by two negative semen ana-lyses,
• Ovulation inhibitory progesterone-only pills (i.e., desoge-strel). (Combined oral contraceptive pills are not recommended. If a subject was using combined oral contraception, she must switch to one of the methods above. The increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) continues for 4 to 6 weeks after stopping combined oral contraception.

Exclusion Criteria:

• left atrial diameter > 50 mm as assessed by transthoracic echocardiogra-phy,
• electrical cardioversion performed later than seven days after onset of AF,
• advanced structural heart disease including
• moderate-to-severe valvular stenosis or regurgitation,
• previous myocardial infarction with impaired left ventricular systolic function,
• congenital heart disease,
• left ventricular ejection fraction < 45% during sinus rhythm,
• coronary artery bypass graft surgery within the last 3 months.
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with beta-sympathomimetic drugs,
• severe respiratory insufficiency,
• known bleeding diathesis or intolerance of heparin or oral anticoagulation,
• previous AF ablation,
• left atrial thrombus,
• severe comorbidity,
• hyperthyreosis,
• any condition, including the presence of laboratory abnormalities, which would place the subject at unacceptable risk if he / she were to participate in the study or confound the ability to interpret data from the study,
• any serious medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness, that would prevent the subject from signing the Informed Consent Form,
• pregnant or lactating females,
• other severe conditions, which makes the patient unsuitable to participate in the study, as judged by the Investigator,
• the patient is active in another clinical trial.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
OTHER: Cryoablation	Device: Cryoablation; Cryoablation of Atrial Fibrillation Using a Novel Cryoablation System; Other Names: Cool Loop first; Cryoablation of Atrial Fibrillation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Safety of Ablation Using the AFreeze Cryoablation System Consisting of the CoolLoop® Ablation Catheter, Its Steerable Sheath and the Cryoconsole Cryo-Caddy Assessed by Recording All Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)	The primary study objective is assessed by recording all Serious Adverse Events (SAEs). Primary endpoint: measurement of the following parameters: deformation of the catheter loop resulting in entrapment of the catheter in the heart and difficulties removing the catheter during visit 3 (treatment).; phrenic nerve palsy during visit 3 (treatment).; onset and time course between visit 3 (treatment) and visit 5 (discharge) of death, pericardial tamponade, valve damage requiring surgery and hemorrhage requiring transfusion.; onset and time course between visit 3 (treatment) and visit 9 (final visit) of atrioesophageal fistula, sepsis, abscesses, endocarditis, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and PV stenosis requiring intervention.	3 months
Tolerability of Ablation Using the AFreeze Cryoablation System	The primary study objective is assessed by recording all Adverse Events (AEs). Primary endpoint: measurement of the following parameters: - deformation of the catheter loop resulting in entrapment of the catheter in the heart and difficulties removing the catheter during visit 3 (treatment).	Treatment duration, up to 6 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feasibility of Catheter Ablation Measured by Number of Participants Treated With the AFreeze Cryoablation System.	Feasibility, defined by the ability to position the catheter in the proximal part in each of the pulmonary veins (PVs) using an over-the-wire technique, forming the cryo-applicator of the catheter to a loop by operating the catheter handle, positioning the loop at the wall of the PV antrum and delivering cryothermia.	Treatment Duration
Acute Efficacy of Catheter Ablation	Absolute percentage of PVs isolated with the CoolLoop® catheter.	Treatment Duration
Clinical Efficacy of Catheter Ablation	During follow-up recurrence of AF was reported by the patient and documented by ECG in 8 patients (80%). 2 patients remained free of recurrences of AF.	First patient - first visit: September 11, 2012; Last patient - last visit: March 26, 2013
Procedure Time	Procedure time was defined from introduction of the CoolLoop® catheter into the left atrium until removal of the CoolLoop® catheter from the left atrium after termination of the last cryo-application.	Average procedure time: 251 min. 06 sec. (range 126 - 320 min.)
Fluoroscopy Time	Fluoroscopy time was defined from introduction of the CoolLoop® catheter into the left atrium until removal of the CoolLoop® catheter from the left atrium after termination of the last cryo - application. Accumulated time using fluoroscopy during procedure time. Average fluoroscopy time was 44 min. 01 sec. (range 17 min. 03 sec. - 59 min.).	Treatment Duration
Cumulative Cryoablation Time	Cryoablation time was defined as the cumulative duration of all cryoapplications in each single study patient. Average cryoablation time was 114 min. 33 sec. (range 80 - 130 min.).	First patient - first visit: September 11, 2012; Last patient - last visit: March 26, 2013
AE	18 AEs were recorded in 7 out of 10 patients. 3 AEs were definitely related to treatment and one AE was definitely device related. All patients recovered completely.	First patient - first visit: September 11, 2012; Last patient - last visit: March 26, 2013

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: afreeze GmbH
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Markus Stuehlinger, MD, Medical University Innsbruck

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): March 1, 2013
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): June 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 18, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 13, 2012
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): September 18, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): December 6, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2018
• Last Verified: November 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cryoablation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Atrial Fibrillation
• Other Study ID Numbers: CoolLoop First