A simulation study evaluating the performance of high-density electrode arrays on myocardial tissue

Area of Science:

• Electrophysiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• High-density multielectrode arrays (MEAs) are crucial for detecting cellular activation.
• Increasing electrode density challenges fundamental assumptions of activation mapping regarding electrode separation and interference.
• The point-like assumption of electrodes may be invalidated by dense MEAs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly test the assumptions of activation mapping for high-density electrode arrays.
• To evaluate the impact of electrode width and spacing ratio (SR) on signal detection.
• To analyze wavefront propagation and activation timing in the presence of dense MEAs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a finite element model incorporating modified Fitzhugh-Nagumo kinetics.
• Represented electrodes as isopotential surfaces with varying widths and spacing ratios (SR).
• Simulated the detection of cellular activation by a single electrode from a passing wavefront.

Main Results:

• High-density arrays did not cause significant wavefront curvature or alter activation timing.
• Signal strength and crosstalk are influenced by the interaction between wavefronts and induced electrode sources.
• Sensitivity analysis confirmed generalizability across various physiological conditions.

Conclusions:

• Current electrode array designs with large spacing relative to diameter may be overly conservative.
• Electrode arrays with a spacing ratio (SR) less than 2.0 can perform successfully in electrophysiological studies.
• Dense MEAs can reliably detect cellular activation without compromising fundamental mapping assumptions.