Circa CrossWise™

Radiofrequency Transseptal Access System

Main Technical Features

The CrossWise™ RF Transseptal Access System (developed by CIRCA Scientific) is a medical device designed for the controlled crossing from the right atrium to the left atrium of the heart using a focused radiofrequency (RF) pulse.
In traditional medical practice, transseptal crossing is performed by pushing with a thick mechanical needle until the resistance of the septal wall is overcome. CrossWise replaces that mechanical force with a millimeter-scale energy pulse, making the crossing smooth, precise, and instantaneous.

What is it for?

It is used to create a clean, controlled perforation in the fossa ovalis (the atrial septum). It is the mandatory entry step in hemodynamic and electrophysiology procedures such as:

• Atrial fibrillation ablation (or other arrhythmias originating in the left chambers).
• Left atrial appendage closure (e.g., placement of Watchman devices).
• Percutaneous valve repair or replacement (transcatheter mitral procedures).

What advantages does it offer over traditional mechanical needles?

• Puncture by energy, not by force (“zero jump”): By applying an RF pulse in milliseconds, the tissue is vaporized locally without the need to push and deform the cardiac wall (excessive tenting), which eliminates uncontrolled rebound and drastically reduces the risk of perforating critical posterior structures such as the free wall of the atrium.
• “Over-the-wire” flow with zero exchanges: It can be preloaded directly onto the vascular guidewire. This eliminates intermediate steps and material changes, shortening the total procedure time and reducing manipulation in the operating room.
• Safety dielectric insulation: The cannula features a special dielectric coating both on the outside and inside its lumen, allowing the metallic guidewire to remain inside while the energy is discharged without risk of accidental electrical leakage.
• Shapeable tip and visual control: The cannula can be oriented toward the exact point of the fossa ovalis and features very clear visual and radiopaque markers under fluoroscopy to know with certainty when the tip emerges from the introducer.
• Broad compatibility: It works with most standard introducers and sheaths on the market (Agilis, Swartz, FlexCath, Vizigo, FARADRIVE) and connects to common RF generators in the lab, without forcing the hospital to purchase expensive proprietary consoles.

In short: the system replaces “blindly pushing against the heart wall” with a “clean, controlled, and millimeter-precise electrical cut,” improving patient safety and speed for the hemodynamics team.