Medical device maker AtriCure Inc. said regulators cleared its
AtriClip system, which is designed for use in surgery treating
atrial fibrillation.
The Food and Drug Administration cleared AtriCure’s AtriClip
Gillinov-Cosgrove Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion system. The
system is intended for use during treatment of atrial fibrillation,
a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat rapidly
and ineffectively. AtriClip is designed to block the left atrial
appendage, a small sac attached to the upper left chamber of the
heart.
During atrial fibrillation, blood can pool inside the left
atrial appendage, causing blood clots that can get into the blood
stream and move to other parts of the body.
The approval allows AtriCure to market the device for use in
open heart surgeries.
AtriCure announced the approval after the market closed on
Monday, and its shares surged in Tuesday morning trading, rising
$1.47, or 28 percent, to $6.70. Earlier they rose 38 percent to
$7.20, their highest price since October 2008.