Siemens Healthcare is allying with Endosense on the development of a new software application that makes it easier for electrophysiologists to conduct ablation procedures.

The collaboration will see Siemens combine its existing electrophysiology solutions with contact-force data provided by Endosense's TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter.

This will allow for the creation of software that provides a three-dimensional anatomic heart model during catheter ablations, making it easy for clinicians to visualise catheter-tip-to-tissue contact force.

Siemens expressed confidence that this collaboration can enhance the clinical benefits of its syngo DynaCT cardiac device, part of its Artis zee family of cath-lab angiography systems.

Martin Ostermeier, director of innovations of the interventional X-ray business unit of Siemens Healthcare, said: "We believe optimisation of catheter tip-to-tissue contact force bears huge potential to improve effectiveness and efficiency of electrophysiology ablation procedures."

In November 2010, Siemens expanded its medical device range by unveiling the Biograph mMR, the first whole-body scanning system to combine magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography technology.