Novel method for displaying the contact index in fixed-loop pulsed field ablation catheters

Adequate electrode–tissue contact is considered important for effective pulsed field ablation (PFA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using a fixed-loop PFA catheter (PulseSelect PFA Loop catheter, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). The Contact Index (CI) in EnSite X Software (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, USA) helps visualize tissue contact through impedance elevation. (1) However, CI was originally designed for a spline-based PFA catheter (FARAWAVE, Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA). When applied to a fixed-loop PFA catheter, only odd-numbered electrodes are displayed, making comprehensive assessment of all nine electrodes difficult.