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Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to acquire Atraverse Medical, a move that will provide the medtech company with a left atrium access system designed to streamline cardiac ablation workflows.
 
Atraverse, based in San Diego, has developed its flagship product, Hotwire, a system consisting of a radiofrequency (RF) guidewire and generator. The company states that Hotwire is the first left-heart access system to incorporate impedance-guided technology along with a feature that can stop energy delivery to reduce unnecessary RF exposure in the left atrium.
 
J&J noted that bringing Atraverse into its portfolio would give it access to an “innovative” tool for treating patients with atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, and completion is anticipated in the second half of 2026.
 
The Hotwire guidewire received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2024, followed by a limited launch in the US market. The complete system, including the RF generator, was cleared by the FDA in December 2025. According to J&J, the technology has already been used successfully in nearly 3,000 left-heart access procedures since its initial rollout.
 
Gaining access to the left atrium is a crucial step in atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. However, because there is no direct venous route to the left atrium, companies, including J&J’s RF ablation-focused subsidiary Biosense Webster, currently depend on tools like transeptal needles or steerable sheaths to puncture or bypass the interatrial septum.
 
In February 2026, Atraverse presented Hotwire data at the AF Symposium 2026 in Boston. Results from a first-in-human observational study involving around 500 patients showed that the guidewire achieved a 100% procedural success rate.
 
Commenting on the data at the time, Dr Steven Mickelsen, Atraverse’s co-founder and chief translational science officer, said: “These data reinforce the clinical importance of controlled RF delivery and impedance-guided shutoff during transseptal access.
 
“The consistency of results across preclinical and first-in-human studies highlights the strength of the Hotwire platform and its potential to set a new standard for left-heart access.”

© Johnson & Johnson