Atrial fibrillation, the most common heart arrhythmia, significantly increases the risk of stroke. The condition causes quivering in the atria, leading to blood clot formation, particularly in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) devices are surgically inserted into the LAA to prevent blood clots from entering the bloodstream, thus reducing the risk of stroke.

One common life-threatening complication associated with this procedure is the dislodgment of LAAC devices. This complication can result in the migration of the LAAC device to other parts of the heart, leading to potentially fatal outcomes such as systemic embolization, cardiac perforation, or thromboembolic events.

EmPath will address this problem as a retrieval device that can capture dislodged LAAC devices in the heart. The nitinol net will pin the dislodged device against a surface. The grasping claw will capture and pull the dislodged device through a catheter inserted in the femoral vein.