Currently, 4.4 million Americans have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), in which the heart beats in an irregular rhythmic pattern. That number is estimated to reach 12-16 million by the year 2050. Patients with atrial fibrillation have a fivefold increase in the chance of stroke. Due to complications from the current standard of care, anticoagulants (i.e. blood-thinning drugs), to treat resulting thromboembolism (i.e. clotting) from AF, alternative treatments are actively being sought out to decrease complications and risk of stroke. With 90% of clots found in the brain originating from the left atrial appendage (LAA), a fingerlike projection of the heart that rarely contracts in AF patients, LAA closure devices have become an increasingly attractive option, but current options undergoing FDA approval are considered by cardiologists to be first generation devices that need to be improved upon due to limited functionality. Flow Medtech is currently developing occlusal technology that fully blocks the LAA from thromboembolism, features customizability to conform to the unique shapes and sizes of individual LAAs, and uses a secure anchoring system to prevent migration. These features will prohibit thromboembolism in the LAA, and thus, will significantly reduce the risk of stroke in AF patients.
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