CardioFocus, based in Marlborough, MA, obtained FDA regulatory approval for its HeartLight Excalibur Balloon as a treatment option for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The system ablates cardiac tissue and relies on the same balloon design as the previously approved HeartLight Ablation System. The latest design improves the speed of ablation and how much tissue is targeted.

The company’s HeartLight technology is used during pulmonary vein isolation procedures, using the balloon to isolate the target area and providing the physician with a direct view of the tissue being worked on. A laser is used to ablate cardiac tissue without having to rely on X-rays or EP cardiac mapping to find and kill the target.