Computer-guided ablation for atypical left atrial flutter
Official title: Computational Modeling Guided Ablation for Atrial Flutteris
Funded at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · NIH-11286820 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work uses your heart MRI and a personalized computer model to help doctors find and target the abnormal flutter circuit in people who develop left atrial flutter after prior atrial fibrillation ablation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002758-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286820 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with atypical left atrial flutter that developed after prior atrial fibrillation ablation, who can undergo MRI and are being considered for repeat catheter ablation.
✕Less likely to help
People with right-sided typical flutter, those who cannot have MRI (for example because of incompatible implants), or those who are not candidates for further ablation may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If I developed atypical left atrial flutter after an earlier atrial fibrillation procedure, doctors would use MRI scans of my left atrium to map scar and heart structure. They would build a personalized computer model of my atrial electrical activity to predict the flutter circuit and suggest precise ablation targets. That guidance would be used during repeat catheter ablation procedures to improve mapping in scarred areas with low electrical signals. The team will also refine MRI processing so the models match each patient’s anatomy more accurately.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors more precisely destroy the problem tissue, lowering the chance of repeat procedures and the need for AV node ablation and a pacemaker.
How similar studies have gone: Related imaging-guided and modeling approaches have shown early promise in complex heart rhythm problems, but personalized computational guidance for post-ablation left atrial flutter is a newer and still unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ranjan, Ravi — VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Ranjan, Ravi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.