CARLSBAD, California, January 17 /PRNewswire/ --

Ablation Frontiers, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, announced today a successful series of catheter ablations using the company's Tip-Versatile Ablation Catheter(TM) (T-VAC). Dr. Vince Paul of the St. Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, United Kingdom is one of three leading European sites that have been evaluating this new multi-electrode linear ablation catheter since November 2007. He performed four ablation procedures for atrial flutter, a potentially dangerous irregular heart rhythm.

Diagnosed with typical atrial flutter, an arrhythmia originating from the upper chambers of the heart, the patients had all suffered from periodic episodes of palpitations, dizziness, or fatigue. "I would often get lightheaded and notice my heart was racing," said one patient who had tried several medications unsuccessfully for this "short circuit" of the heart's normal rhythm.

Performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory, the T-VAC is inserted through a vein in the patient's leg and traversed into the heart. Dr. Paul then moved the catheter tip in the heart until he identified the precise area of cardiac tissue responsible for the irregular heart rhythm. Simultaneously applying radiofrequency (RF) energy to all six T-VAC electrodes with the Ablation Frontiers GENius(TM) RF Multi-Channel generator, Dr Paul was able to create "lesions" approximately 30mm in length. These lesions modify the cardiac tissue to block the abnormal electrical conduction. For one patient, a single ablation created in just 90 seconds completely blocked the short circuit. Another two patients required only two or three ablations to fix their arrhythmia. All four patients were successfully treated and left the Catheterization Laboratory with a normal heart rhythm.

After the final procedure of the day, which lasted 20 minutes, Dr. Paul said, "With the T-VAC and GENius generator I could create a long contiguous lesion without having to drag the catheter along the surface of the heart. I am very pleased with this novel design, which allows for potentially shorter & safer linear ablations." Dr. Paul represents one of approximately 10 physicians that will utilize the catheter during an upcoming introduction period.

Having received the CE Mark for the T-VAC in September 2007, Ablation Frontiers will feature the T-VAC at the Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, taking place January 17-19, 2008 at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center. The T-VAC is expected to be launched into the broad European market in the second quarter of 2008.

Ablation Frontiers CEO, Keegan Harper said, "the T-VAC will be a strong complement to our other product offerings and allow us to offer advanced treatment to all patients needing an ablation therapy whether it be in the right or left side of the heart. The T-VAC will also enable treating physicians to perform ablation procedures in substantially less time than what is currently possible."

Federal Law limits these devices to investigational use in the United States.

About Ablation Frontiers

Ablation Frontiers is an emerging, venture-backed medical device company based in Carlsbad, California. The company received US$21.8 million Series C financing in June 2007, led by the Novartis Venture Fund, to drive clinical development and market expansion for their novel Cardiac Ablation System. Founded in 2004, the company is focused on developing and commercializing innovative products for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. In late 2006, Ablation Frontiers received the CE Mark and actively markets its portfolio of anatomical-based catheters and a multi-channel RF generator in the European Union. To learn more about the company, visit http://www.ablationfrontiers.com.

Web site: http://www.ablationfrontiers.com

Jay Kelley, Global Marketing Manager of Ablation Frontiers, Inc., +1-760-438-4868, jkelley@ablationfrontiers.com