Where did pulsed field ablation begin at Medtronic?

Over 15 years of robust clinical research in IRE and clinical application of pulsed field ablation yielded the PulseSelect™ PFA system to treat paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

The Medtronic PFA portfolio also includes the all-in-one, dual-energy Sphere-9™ catheter, seamlessly integrated with the Affera™ mapping and ablation system.

Together, these technologies help advance AF treatment with a focus on safety, precision, and procedural efficiency.



Versatile PFA tools to tailor lesion sets


A wide-area focal tool for precise lesion delivery

An all-in-one solution to map, ablate, and validate, the Sphere-9™ catheter is a wide-area focal dual-energy pulsed field/radiofrequency (RF) catheter, providing tailored lesion sets.

SPHERE Per-AF — proven safety and effectiveness, superior efficiency1

The Sphere-9™ catheter with the Affera™ mapping and ablation system demonstrated noninferior safety and effectiveness and superior procedural efficiency compared to the THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH™* SF catheter and CARTO™* mapping system.1





A single shot tool for pulmonary vein isolation

A single shot, over-the-wire PFA catheter designed for circumferential pulmonary vein isolation, the PulseSelect™ PFA system enables mapping and precise lesion delivery with the freedom to adapt to your preferred workflow.

PULSED AF — the safest PFA IDE trial including paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation patients2

Treatment of 300 paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation patients with the PulseSelect™ PFA system met all prespecified performance goals with a primary safety event rate of 0.7%.2





Medtronic PFA history

  • Medtronic began electroporation research for cardiac ablation in 2006.
  • First Medtronic PFA patent was filed in 2008
  • The first Medtronic publication on electroporation for cardiac ablation was published in 2009.

  • Affera, Inc. was established.
  • Medtronic partners with world-leading experts in electroporation.
  • Preclinical research on hemolysis and the impact of PFA on collateral tissues in cardiac ablation continues

  • PULSED AF trial evaluating the PulseSelect™ PFA system is the first PFA IDE trial to complete enrollment
  • First-in-human cases with the dual-energy Sphere-9™ catheter and Sphere-360™ PFA catheter performed
  • Medtronic acquires Affera™ mapping and ablation system.

  • PULSED AF results published, showing lowest primary safety event rate for PFA IDE trials including PAF and PsAF patients
  • The all-in-one, dual-energy Sphere-9™ catheter launches in Europe.
  • The first PFA catheter for the treatment of PAF and PsAF, the PulseSelect™ PFA system, launches globally.

  • Results from the Sphere-360™ PFA catheter European study published and presented at European Heart Rhythm Association
  • Results from first PFA randomized controlled trial for the treatment of PsAF patients, the SPHERE Per-AF IDE trial, published and presented at Heart Rhythm Society

  • The Affera™ mapping and ablation system launches globally.
  • 100,000 patients treated worldwide with Medtronic PFA systems3

  • Sphere-9™ catheter receives breakthrough device designation to treat ventricular tachycardia
  • Sphere-360™ PFA catheter receives CE Mark, adding to the single shot portfolio