Conclusion:
This study confirmed the necessity and utility of CTC during monopolar PEF ablation of cardiac tissues via an investigational LAF catheter in a swine model. Using LI as an indicator, consistent CTC resulted in effective PEF ablation across a range of cardiac targets suggesting that contact, per se, is more important than the degree of contact. These results diverge from previous research using focal catheters, where increased contact resulted in increased lesion size and indicate LAF catheter require unique research and workflows. Lesion characteristics were optimized and reproducible across a wide range of LI changes and, notably, acute lesion characteristics were preserved chronically. These results suggest an important role for contact detection in the guided delivery of PEF energy.