Reported Reactions

Devices › Cardiac ablation percutaneous catheter

Device brand name · Cardiac ablation percutaneous catheter

ThermoCool SmartTouch: medical device reports filed with FDA

313 reports name it, 2015–2026. Manufacturer given most often on reports: Biosense Webster. Product code LPB.

313
device reports naming the brand
0% of all MAUDE reports · about 27 a year
100
reports, 12 months to August 2026
97 in the 12 months before
63.6%
classified as malfunction
37% across the product code
2.6%
classified as death, as reported
8 reports · not verified by FDA

313 medical device reports received by FDA name the brand "ThermoCool SmartTouch" (cardiac ablation percutaneous catheter); the manufacturer given most often on reports is Biosense Webster; received from January 2015 to August 2026. Brand names are as the reporter or manufacturer wrote them, so one product can appear under several spellings.

100 reports arrived in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the 97 of the 12 months before. FDA releases MAUDE data monthly; reports can arrive months after an event, so the newest months grow in later releases. The event types recorded are malfunction (63.6%), injury (33.9%) and death (2.6%); across all cardiac ablation percutaneous catheter reports (product code LPB) death is recorded in 4.4% and malfunction in 37%. Event type is the reporter's classification of the report, not a verified outcome.

The device problems coded most often are patient device interaction problem (17.9%), obstruction of flow (11.2%) and incorrect, inadequate or imprecise result or readings (10.9%). The patient problems coded most often are cardiac tamponade, stroke/cva and heart block. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data."

Reports by month, five years

0816Sep 2021: 0Oct 2021: 0Nov 2021: 0Dec 2021: 02022Jan 2022: 0Feb 2022: 1Mar 2022: 0Apr 2022: 0May 2022: 0Jun 2022: 2Jul 2022: 1Aug 2022: 3Sep 2022: 0Oct 2022: 1Nov 2022: 2Dec 2022: 12023Jan 2023: 0Feb 2023: 0Mar 2023: 0Apr 2023: 1May 2023: 1Jun 2023: 0Jul 2023: 1Aug 2023: 0Sep 2023: 0Oct 2023: 0Nov 2023: 0Dec 2023: 02024Jan 2024: 0Feb 2024: 0Mar 2024: 0Apr 2024: 0May 2024: 0Jun 2024: 0Jul 2024: 2Aug 2024: 11Sep 2024: 6Oct 2024: 16Nov 2024: 7Dec 2024: 82025Jan 2025: 12Feb 2025: 9Mar 2025: 12Apr 2025: 9May 2025: 4Jun 2025: 5Jul 2025: 6Aug 2025: 3Sep 2025: 5Oct 2025: 9Nov 2025: 0Dec 2025: 152026Jan 2026: 11Feb 2026: 12Mar 2026: 4Apr 2026: 10May 2026: 7Jun 2026: 13Jul 2026: 6Aug 2026: 8

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases MAUDE data monthly; reports can arrive months after an event, so the newest months grow in later releases.

By year received

045892015: 520152016: 62017: 5520172018: 142020: 420202021: 52022: 1120222023: 32024: 5020242025: 892026: 712026

Event type and report source

Event type, as classified on the report

Death2.6%8
Injury33.9%106
Malfunction63.6%199
Other0%0
Not given0%0

Who filed the report

Manufacturer report85.9%269
Voluntary report1.6%5
User facility report0%0
Distributor report0%0
Not given12.5%39

Grey bar: all 16,527 reports carrying product code LPB. Event type is the filer's classification and is not verified by FDA.

Device problems coded

Device problem (FDA code)ReportsShareShare across product code
Patient device interaction problem5617.9%23.8%
Obstruction of flow3511.2%2.2%
Incorrect, inadequate or imprecise result or readings3410.9%3.6%
Failure to sense299.3%2.8%
Manufacturing, packaging or shipping problem185.8%0.8%
Insufficient cooling175.4%1.2%
Contamination /decontamination problem123.8%2.9%
Positioning problem113.5%1.3%
Signal artifact/noise82.6%1.9%
Temperature problem41.3%1.6%
Breakthe device broke31%1.5%
Communication or transmission problemthe device could not communicate or transmit31%0.9%
Crackthe device cracked31%0.7%
Device alarm system31%0.3%
Device sensing problem31%0.6%
Display or visual feedback problem31%0.6%
Electrical shorting31%0.6%
Material protrusion/extrusion31%0.5%
Material separation31%0.4%
Device operates differently than expectedthe device behaved unexpectedly20.6%2.6%

FDA's device problem codes as entered on the report; one report can carry several. Generic codes such as "no apparent adverse event" are left out.

Patient problems coded

Patient problem (FDA code)ReportsShare
Cardiac tamponade5617.9%
Stroke/cva103.2%
Heart block72.2%
Cardiac perforation51.6%
Fistula51.6%
Cardiac arrestthe heart stopped31%
Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term31%
Heart failure/congestive heart failure31%
Pseudoaneurysm31%
Respiratory failurethe lungs could not supply enough oxygen31%
Aortic dissection20.6%
Arrhythmia20.6%
Hematomaa collection of blood under the skin or in tissue20.6%
Paralysis20.6%
Pericarditisinflammation of the sac around the heart20.6%

Patient problem codes are present mainly in reports filed since 2019 and are often blank.

In context

MeasureThermoCool SmartTouchProduct code LPBAll MAUDE reports
Reports31316,52726,136,888
Share of that pool—1.9%0%
Classified as death, per 1,000 reports26449
Classified as injury33.9%58.2%36.2%
Classified as malfunction63.6%37%62.3%
Filed by the manufacturer85.9%95.8%94.9%

Shares are of reports, not of devices in use. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data."

Other brands with product code LPB

BrandReportsLatest 12 monthsClassified as death
Thermocool Smart Touch Sf Bi-Directional Navigation Catheter4,538224.5%
ThermoCool SmartTouch SF1,7226573.8%
Thermocool Smarttouch Bi-Directional Navigation Catheter1,22405%
Thermocool Smart Touch Sf Uni-Directional Navigation Catheter881143.7%
Thermocool Smart Touch Electrophysiology Catheter71552.8%
Thermocool Smarttouch Uni-Directional Navigation Catheter66304.1%
Thermocool Sf Nav Bi-Directional Catheter60706.3%
Thermocool Smart Touch Bi-Directional Navigation Catheter51208%
Thermocool Smarttouch Sf Bi-Directional Nav Catheter35403.4%
NaviStar ThermoCool673207%
CryoConsole318151.6%
Thermocool Sf Nav Uni-Directional Catheter29204.1%
Ez Steer Nav Bi-Directional Electrophysiology Catheter18413.8%
Unk Smart Touch Bidirectional21301.4%
Unk Navistar Thermocool22004.5%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data." FDA also states that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product."

Questions about ThermoCool SmartTouch reports

How many FDA reports name ThermoCool SmartTouch?

313 medical device reports in the openFDA MAUDE release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through August 2026; 100 in the latest 12 months.

What kinds of events are reported?

malfunction (63.6%), injury (33.9%) and death (2.6%). "Event type" is how the report was classified when filed: death, injury, malfunction or other.

What device problems are coded?

patient device interaction problem (17.9%), obstruction of flow (11.2%), incorrect, inadequate or imprecise result or readings (10.9%), failure to sense (9.3%) and manufacturing, packaging or shipping problem (5.8%). These are FDA's device problem codes as entered on the report.

Who files these reports?

manufacturer reports (85.9%) and voluntary reports (1.6%). Manufacturers and user facilities are required to report; voluntary reports come from health professionals and the public.

Do these reports show that ThermoCool SmartTouch was at fault?

No. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data." FDA adds that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report."

How do I report a problem with a medical device?

Through FDA MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 for health professionals and consumers), or to the manufacturer. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Device Adverse Event (MAUDE) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 31 Aug 2026. Brand, generic and manufacturer names are as written on the reports; product code names come from FDA's device classification. A report counts here when any device it lists carries this brand name after punctuation and capitalisation are normalised. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.