Biomechanical Responses of Swine Esophagus Tissue to Irreversible Electroporation

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common disease that may occur in the heart, especially as we age. AF is due to non-normal myocardial ectopic foci that then causes an uncoordinated atrium contraction. This effectively reduces the atrial kick to the ventricles, which can account for up to 20% of ventricular filling. While not an immediately fatal disease, it can cause reduced quality of life for patients and also puts them at increased risk for stroke. AF as a disease, is expected to affect over 50 million people in the United States alone by 2050 [1].