Imricor Medical Systems, Inc. (Company or Imricor) (ASX: IMR) is pleased to announce that it has commenced the VISABL-VT clinical trial by completing the first-in-human ventricular ablation guided by real-time MRI with the Company’s NorthStar Mapping System. The procedure was performed by the team at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), ranked in 2025 by Newsweek as the best hospital in The Netherlands, and in the top 35 worldwide.
The procedure marked several world firsts. It was the first ventricular ablation to be guided by real-time MRI, and it was the first left-sided ablation to be performed under real-time MRI guidance. The patient was treated for right-sided and left-sided premature ventricular complexes (PVCs).
“During ablation, MRI-images provide a better view of the anatomy of the heart and the instruments used for treatment, but also of the changes made to the treated cardiac tissue. Unlike X-ray images, the entire area surrounding the heart can be seen, including the blood vessels and valves. And the MRI offers the opportunity during the procedure to visualize the effects of the treatment on the myocardial tissue,” says Marco Götte, imaging cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC, initiator and project leader of the cardiac intervention MRI research program.
Amsterdam UMC has a long history with the development of MRI-guided cardiac interventions, with numerous firsts and this is yet another an important milestone. “The patient is doing well; the procedure went according to plan and the arrhythmia has been eliminated. We are therefore extremely proud that with our years of preparation, we have now reached the point where we are the first in the world to be able to treat complex forms of cardiac arrhythmias in an MRI scanner,” says Cor Allaart, Professor of Electrophysiology and cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC.
Imricor’s Chair and CEO, Steve Wedan, commented, “We formed Imricor in 2006 with the goal of delivering MRI-compatible catheters and systems that would enable real-time MRI guidance of complex ventricular and atrial ablation procedures, where the power of MRI has the potential to deliver better, faster, safer, and less expensive treatment for patients suffering from irregular heartbeats. This achievement is a huge milestone for both Imricor and Amsterdam UMC.”
