Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) announced strategic investments in two companies developing intracardiac echocardiography catheter technologies. The medical device company plans to integrate ICE capabilities into its Affera mapping and ablation system for cardiac arrhythmia procedures.

The investments include Beluga Medical, a premarket-stage company in California developing ICE products, and CardioACC, an early commercial-stage company based in Shenzhen, China. CardioACC received National Medical Products Administration approval for its ICE system in 2025.

ICE catheters provide real-time, high-resolution imaging during electrophysiology procedures for conditions such as atrial fibrillation. Both invested companies will continue operating independently, according to the company's press release statement.

"ICE catheters are an important component of ablation procedures today, and we intend for our Affera platform to evolve to include this capability," said Rebecca Seidel, president of the Cardiac Ablation Solutions business.

The investments support Medtronic's cardiac ablation portfolio expansion. The company offers two pulsed field ablation systems: the PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation System, available in more than 35 countries, and the Sphere-9 catheter for treating persistent atrial fibrillation, approved in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Medtronic also markets the Sphere-360 catheter, which is approved in Europe and under investigation in the United States. The Galway, Ireland-based company operates across more than 150 countries with approximately 95,000 employees.