Johnson & Johnson Advances Cardiac Ablation Technology in Europe with Availability of Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF Platform

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 25, 2026--

Johnson & Johnson today announced the commercial launch of the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF (DE STSF) Platform in Europe, expanding physician access to a dual-energy catheter ablation solution designed for personalized care across workflows, anatomies and procedural strategies. i

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The platform combines the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF Catheter, an irrigated contact-force sensing catheter, with the TRUPULSE Generator to enable delivery of both radiofrequency (RF) and pulsed field (PF) energy through a single catheter-based solution. i Designed to support precise and insight-driven ablation, the platform enables electrophysiologists to leverage both pulsed field and radiofrequency energy within the same procedure. i

Built on the THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF platform, a globally trusted catheter with extensive clinical validation and more than a million patients treated worldwide, DE STSF combines a familiar point-by-point workflow with the flexibility to tailor treatment approaches across a broad range of cardiac ablation procedures. i Leveraging the power of CARTO integration, ultra high-density mapping solutions and intracardiac ultrasound imaging, the platform delivers advanced electro-anatomical mapping, catheter visualization, contact-force feedback and PF/RF Index guidance. Together, these capabilities are designed to support procedural control and reproducible lesion creation.

“DE STSF is a welcome addition to the EP lab because it allows physicians to incorporate new technology based on the gold RF standard smarttouch SF platform while maintaining familiar workflows with greater versatility by seamlessly switching between RF and PFA,” said Nicolas Derval 1, M.D., Bordeaux, France. “This flexibility also provides greater ability to adjust treatment to different patient anatomies, clinical needs and procedural goals while increasing safety in ablating the posterior wall for example. i”

“No two atrial fibrillation patients are the same, which is why personalized treatment and procedural versatility matter,” said Ricardo Martin, President EMEA, Electrophysiology, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson. “The launch of the Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF Platform reflects our continued commitment to providing physicians with a broad range of treatment options. As the latest addition to our integrated pulsed field ablation portfolio, it combines the familiarity of the world’s leading radiofrequency catheter with the versatility of pulsed field ablation, giving physicians greater confidence to tailor treatment to each patient’s needs.”

Clinical data supporting the platform include 12-month findings from the SmartfIRE first-in-human study, which demonstrated 86.9% effectiveness among patients treated with high adherence to the recommended workflow and PF/RF Index guidance. The study also demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life and reductions in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and antiarrhythmic drug use. ii

The DE STSF Platform is supported by the company’s integrated electrophysiology ecosystem, bringing together mapping, intracardiac ultrasound, therapy technologies and clinical support solutions designed to help physicians navigate increasingly complex ablation procedures.

Cardiovascular Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. Through a cardiovascular portfolio that provides healthcare professionals with advanced mapping and navigation, miniaturized tech, and precise ablation we are addressing conditions with significant unmet needs such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. We are the global leaders in heart recovery, circulatory restoration, and the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, as well as an emerging leader in neurovascular care, committed to taking on two of the leading causes of death worldwide in heart failure and stroke. For more, visit this website

About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and cardiovascular solutions at https://www.jnjmedtech.com/. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 related to Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; uncertainty of commercial success for new products; the ability of the company to successfully execute strategic plans; impact of business combinations and divestitures; challenges to patents; changes in behavior and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; and global health care reforms and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com, www.investor.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

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Important information: Prior to use, refer to the instructions for use for indications, contraindications, adverse events, warnings and precautions.

This product can only be used by healthcare professionals in EMEA.

 

Dual Energy THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF (DE STSF) Platform launches in Europe

BEIRUT (AP) — Shiite Muslims around the world on Thursday marked Ashoura, a holy day symbolizing sacrifice and martyrdom that holds special significance for many this year after months of war in Iran and Lebanon.

Ashoura commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D. Imam Hussein was killed with his family and companions after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate.

The event cemented the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and remains a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice.

This year, Ashoura comes after months of war in Iran and Lebanon, homes to two of the world’s largest Shiite populations. Iran and the U.S. this week launched talks aimed at finalizing a fragile ceasefire agreement.

On the first day of the war, on Feb. 28, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The 86-year-old Khamenei was not just Iran’s top political leader. He also had a final say on all religious matters and was revered by millions of Shiites worldwide. Ashoura comes just days before his funeral procession.

The war also spilled over into Lebanon, where Iran’s key ally, the Hezbollah militant group, has been battling Israeli troops for months.

Hezbollah entered the fighting days into the war by firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Tehran. That sparked widespread Israeli aerial bombardment and a ground invasion that decimated large swaths of predominantly Shiite areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Ashoura comes as many of the more than one million displaced Lebanese people are trying to return to their villages in southern Lebanon. Cities and towns had held sermons and events in the buildup to the holy day surrounded by buildings reduced to rubble and ruins.

Ashoura is the holiest day on the Shiite calendar, marked by traditional mourning rituals that include chest-beating, elegies and lamentations. It is held on the 10th day of the month of Muharram.

Families in the Lebanese coastal city of Tyre who lost relatives fighting with Hezbollah or working as paramedics wept during a sermon on the third day of Muharram. A cleric, who sat between portraits of current Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Kassem, compared the struggles the modern-day leaders faced in the war to that of Hussein and his companions in Karbala.

Banners in red and black bearing Hussein’s name were hung on every street.

In Beirut’s southern suburbs, many flocked to the grave of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike in September 2024.

Elsewhere, Pakistan deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel across the country following intelligence reports warning of possible militant attacks on Shiite Muslims, a minority in the predominantly Sunni country.

Although most Sunnis and Shiites live peacefully alongside one another, militant groups have repeatedly targeted Shiite communities, mosques, and religious gatherings in sectarian attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives.

As members of Pakistan’s Shiite minority prepare to take part in mourning processions, mobile phone service in some areas is expected to be suspended temporarily to help prevent attacks.

“Imam Hussein is a symbol of the highest struggle and sacrifice,” said Saadia Shah, 33, as she entered a congregation hall in the eastern city of Lahore with her two children. “His name gives us the courage to stand up to tyranny, to say what is right and oppose what is wrong.”

Associated Press journalist Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Iranian mourners beat their heads and chests during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, prior to Ashoura, which commemorates the 7th-century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of Prophet Muhammad's grandsons and one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints, and 72 of his companions, who were killed in a battle in Karbala in present-day Iraq. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)