Combined phase singularity and wavefront analysis for optical maps of ventricular fibrillation

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Computational Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ventricular fibrillation (VF) research often uses high-resolution electrical mapping.
• Previous methods focused on analyzing VF patterns based on individual wavefronts.
• Optical mapping provides rich data on tissue repolarization, which requires new analytical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for analyzing optically mapped VF data, incorporating repolarization information.
• To define and parameterize VF using wavefronts and phase singularities.
• To apply this parameterization to identify and characterize propagation block during VF.

Main Methods:

• Converted raw fluorescence data from optical mapping to an angular phase variable.
• Defined wavefronts as phase isolines terminating at boundaries or singularities.
• Developed data structures to describe wavefronts, singularities, and their relationships (e.g., wavefront-wavefront, singularity-singularity).

Main Results:

• The new method successfully parameterizes VF based on phase dynamics.
• It enables the identification and localization of propagation block events.
• Characterization of singularity-singularity and wavefront-singularity interactions provides insights into VF mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• The developed phase-based analysis method is effective for optically mapped VF data.
• This approach enhances the understanding of VF mechanisms by incorporating repolarization dynamics.
• It offers a powerful tool for investigating complex phenomena like propagation block in VF.