ACIST Medical Systems of Eden Prairie on Wednesday announced the first successful human case to use its RXi Rapid Exchange FFR System in the United States.

Dr. Jeff Chambers of Metropolitan Heart and Vascular Institute in Coon Rapids performed the Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) procedure on Monday. FFR is used to detect and assess blockages in coronary arteries that could require angioplasty.

The new technology was designed to provide physicians with a faster and easier way to perform FFR procedures, ACIST said in a statement.

"The ACIST Rapid FFR System offers a significant step forward in diagnostic assessment," said Chambers, an interventional cardiologist and the director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Mercy Hospital. "With Rapid FFR, measurements can be obtained quickly and easily without disrupting cath lab workflow… The time savings and ease of use are significant advantages, especially in complex coronary interventions like the ones we routinely perform here at Mercy."

Tom Morizio, president and chief operating officer of ACIST, said: "The RXi Rapid Exchange FFR System is a major step forward in the transformation of ACIST…. The technology in the RXi Rapid Exchange FFR System will continue to evolve and advance our mission to simplify the complexities in the Cath Lab."

ACIST received FDA clearance for the RXi system in January. The company conducted a clinical trial in New Zealand and is currently performing an additional study in Europe. ACIST is moving forward with a limited market rollout of the system in advance of a full global release in the spring of 2014. For more information about ACIST, go to: www.acist.com.