Durablate catheter treatment for ventricular tachycardia
Official title: Eliminating Ventricular Tachycardia: Pivotal Clinical Trial using the Durablate® Catheter
Funded at Thermedical, INC. · NIH-11175368 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new catheter that delivers heated saline plus radiofrequency energy aims to remove the heart tissue causing ventricular tachycardia in people who have VT and receive ICD shocks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thermedical, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waltham, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $437,984 |
| NIH project number | 5R44HL169112-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11175368 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with recurrent ventricular tachycardia, especially those with ICDs or who are candidates for catheter ablation, are the most likely candidates for this trial.
✕Less likely to help
People whose arrhythmias are not ventricular in origin, who are not eligible for catheter ablation, or whose heart anatomy prevents safe catheter access are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
If you join, doctors will use 3-D CT or MRI images merged with electroanatomic maps to pinpoint the heart tissue causing VT. They will then use the Durablate® catheter to deliver heated saline together with radiofrequency energy to reach and destroy deep arrhythmia-causing tissue. The trial is a pivotal clinical device trial led by the device developer and will be offered at participating hospitals that perform complex ablations. You will have follow-up visits to monitor heart rhythm, symptoms, and safety after the procedure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce or eliminate painful ICD shocks and potentially reduce the need for ICD implants, improving quality of life and lowering costs.
How similar studies have gone: Catheter ablation is established for atrial arrhythmias and used in some VT cases, but this heated-saline plus RF approach is relatively new and less widely tested for treating deep VT substrates.
Where this research is happening
-
Thermedical, INC.
Waltham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Curley, Michael G — Thermedical, INC.
- Study coordinator: Curley, Michael G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Map heart tissue to guide VT ablation with AI help
A patient-oriented project aims to use AI-based mapping to better identify abnormal heart tissue responsible for ventricular tachycardia and guide safer, faster ablation.
-
Proton SBRT for refractory ventricular tachycardia with real-time 3D/4D imaging
A patient-facing study exploring a proton-based, noninvasive radiation therapy to treat stubborn VT using advanced 3D and 4D imaging to target the heart safely.
-
Venous ethanol ablation to treat ischemic VT (VE-VT)
A new treatment approach uses ethanol delivered through heart veins to help stop dangerous heart rhythms in patients with previous heart damage.
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Novel gene therapy tools to prevent dangerous heart rhythms
A small grant supports testing gene-therapy methods to stop ventricular tachycardia after a heart attack, with the goal of helping people at risk of sudden heart rhythm problems.
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Radiation-guided ablation for ventricular tachycardia
This project tests a noninvasive radiation approach to ablate heart tissue in people with dangerous ventricular tachycardia to reduce the need for invasive procedures.
-
Low-Field MRI–Guided Robotic Catheter System for VT Ablation
A research project is testing a new low-field MRI–guided robotic catheter to improve treatment of ventricular tachycardia for patients with abnormal heart structure.
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.