Rhythmia Medical

Rhythmia Medical, Inc. operated as a developer of advanced medical technology focused on cardiac rhythm disorders. The company was founded in 2004 by business school graduates Leon Amariglio and Doron Harlev, who aimed to build a business with a positive societal impact by creating their own technology.

The core of Rhythmia Medical's business was the development of a next-generation 3D mapping and navigation system for use in cardiac catheter ablation procedures. This system was created to treat tachy-arrhythmias, which are rapid, irregular heartbeats such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. These conditions affect approximately 15 million people worldwide. The company's primary clients were physicians and hospitals specializing in electrophysiology.

Rhythmia's product consisted of a two-part system designed to provide physicians with a clearer, three-dimensional picture of the heart's architecture and electrical activity as it beats. The first component was a specialized catheter featuring 64 electrodes to track electrical signals and map the heart's internal geometry. The second part was sophisticated software that translated the vast amount of data collected by the catheter into detailed 3D visualizations. This high-resolution mapping was intended to help physicians more accurately identify the source of irregular heartbeats, significantly improving the precision and efficiency of ablation procedures. In pre-clinical and clinical tests, the system demonstrated the ability to reduce heart mapping time by at least half.

The company's journey included securing at least $17 million in venture capital funding and receiving a grant from the National Institutes of Health. A significant milestone occurred in October 2012, when Boston Scientific Corporation entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Rhythmia Medical. The acquisition was a strategic move for Boston Scientific to enter the $2.5 billion electrophysiology market. The deal included an upfront payment of $90 million, with up to an additional $175 million in contingent payments based on regulatory, commercial, and sales-based milestones through 2017. Following the acquisition, the technology was further developed and commercialized as the RHYTHMIA™ Mapping System.

Keywords: cardiac mapping, electrophysiology, atrial fibrillation, catheter ablation, medical devices, 3D navigation, heart rhythm disorders, arrhythmia treatment, tachy-arrhythmias, medical technology, cardiac visualization, Boston Scientific, Leon Amariglio, Doron Harlev, intracardiac mapping, EP procedures, cardiac diagnostics, healthcare technology systems