A new real-time mapping system to detect microscopic cardiac excitation patterns

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Understanding cardiac excitation propagation is crucial for diagnosing and treating heart conditions.
• Current methods often lack the resolution or speed to capture microscopic details of electrical spread.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new fast, high-resolution measurement system for analyzing cardiac excitation propagation at a microscopic scale.
• To enable detailed visualization and recording of electrical activity on the cardiac surface.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microsensor array for simultaneous recording of 96 epicardial signals at 14-bit resolution and 200 kHz per channel.
• Employed 48 digital signal processors for rapid preprocessing (offset, gain, triggering) within 5 microseconds.
• Integrated 12 Mb buffer memory per analog-to-digital converter for continuous recording up to 64-k samples x 96 channels.
• Implemented high-speed data transfer (8 Mb/sec) via VXIbus to an integrated computer system.
• Developed custom software for analysis and visualization of propagating excitation patterns.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-resolution, microscopic-scale analysis of cardiac excitation propagation.
• Enabled simultaneous recording of 96 epicardial signals with high fidelity (14-bit resolution, 200 kHz).
• Demonstrated the capability for continuous recording and rapid data transfer for comprehensive analysis.
• Successfully visualized cardiac excitation spread in a beat-to-beat manner.

Conclusions:

• The developed system provides unprecedented detail for studying cardiac electrical activity.
• This technology facilitates a deeper understanding of microscopic excitation patterns and their propagation.
• Offers a powerful tool for research in cardiac electrophysiology and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.