Despite contraction in the number of funds and VC firms investing in life sciences, 2013 was a strong year for private investing in medtech, with private investors putting $2.54 million into 129 medical device deals, according to Informa’s Strategic Transactions. Looking at where investors placed their money revealed some emerging trends.

St. Jude Medical has acquired Swiss company Endosense, a pioneer in the field of contact force sensing for atrial fibrillation ablation. The $170 million plus milestones deal will enable St. Jude to compete more effectively against market leader Biosense Webster/J&J, but it also emphasizes the growing importance of contact force technology in the AF ablation space.

Device therapies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have so far failed to result in compelling efficacy across all types of disease and patients. The rates of elimination of AF following a catheter ablation procedure range from 30% to 80% according to the type of patient and the definition of success. The question of why success rates aren’t yet sufficient after a great deal of investment is an area of active pursuit, and one that opens up the door for next-generation AF device companies seeking to improve upon the results achieved to date.