This month we focus on EP devices and technology such as tissue doppler imaging, pacers, mapping systems, ICDs, and deflectable guide sheaths.

Dear readers,

While last month our articles focused on topics in atrial fibrillation, this month many of the articles focus on the use of devices and new technology in the EP lab.

In our Industry Interview this month, Dr. Derek Fyfe from the Sibley Heart Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has provided us with information about Tissue Doppler Imaging, an emerging ultrasound technology which is able to measure heart function while eliminating the need for biopsy. Dr. Fyfe is currently testing the technology on pediatric heart-transplant patients; his studies are showing that when TDI is used in conjunction with traditional echocardiography, it can detect signs of terminal heart failure up to 12 months beforehand.

This month we also bring you an article about the Cardima NAVIPORT deflectable guide sheath. Author Dr. Bryon Lee from the University of California in San Francisco writes that it can often be difficult to choose the right sheath with the correct shape for a particular ablation procedure. He concludes that the NAVIPORT is beneficial in the ablation of arrhythmias, and that its use can potentially save time and lower cost.

In addition, I am happy to bring you the first installment of our EP Lab Digest Email Discussion Group. Your responses were very helpful and informative, and I am proud to share them with all of our readers. This month’s discussion question: "What sedation is used in the EP lab for ICDs? If Diprivan is used, who administers it?" Please check out this article on page 36.

Thanks for reading!