For the first time in its six years as a public company, AtriCure Inc., turned a profit in the fourth quarter of last year with the help of sales of a new product.

AtriCure (Nasdaq: ATRC) had net income of $11,300 in the last quarter of 2010, compared to a net loss of $2.4 million in the same quarter the year before.

However, it wasn’t enough to go in the black overall in 2010 — AtriCure, a maker of medical devices used in heart surgery, had a net loss last year of $3.8 million, according to the company. The net loss in 2009 was $16.5 million.

“We really had strong contributions from each of our products as well as a strong contribution from our new product AtriClip,” said Julie Piton, vice president and chief financial officer of AtriCure.

AtriClip had $1.3 million in sales in the fourth quarter, according to AtriCure.

The AtriClip system took more than five years to develop, Piton said. The product was commercially launched in the U.S. during the third quarter of last year. The device excludes the left atrial appendage, a hollow structure attached to the heart’s left atrium.

Excluding the left trial appendage during procedures to treat atrial fibrillation can prevent blood clots, according to AtriCure.

Atrial fibrillation is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to American Heart Association. One way to treat it is surgical ablation, the scarring of tissue, according to Piton.

“We are pleased with our record fourth quarter financial results which reflect our focus and commitment to sustained high growth and profitability.

During 2010 the AtriCure team executed on our strategic priorities, including the introduction of new products, sales force expansion and FDA approvals,” said David Drachman, president and chief executive officer of AtriCure in a statement with the earnings release.