AtriCure`s AtriClip System Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance

   AtriCure, Inc., a medical device company and a leader in cardiac surgical ablation systems, announced that it received clearance from the FDA for its AtriClip Gillinov-Cosgrove Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion system. The AtriClip system is designed to safely and effectively exclude the left atrial appendage. Initial launch in the United States is anticipated to begin later this month with full commercial release planned during the third quarter of 2010.     “Clearance of the AtriClip system in the United States represents a major product and clinical milestone for AtriCure,” said David J. Drachman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe that the AtriClip system provides a safe and efficient method to exclude the left atrial appendage.”    The AtriClip system includes a clip device that is designed to exclude the left atrial appendage. During AF, stagnant blood pools in the trabeculations of the left atrial appendage and is known to form clots that can migrate to other parts of the body. The AtriClip is designed to be implanted from the outside of the heart, avoiding contact with circulating blood and eliminating blood flow between the left atrial appendage and the atria. The AtriClip system has been cleared by the FDA for occlusion of the left atrial appendage, under direct visualization, in conjunction with other open-heart cardiac procedures.