3-D mapping of body surface potentials

A new system has been developed in which the human body surface potentials are displayed in a 3-dimensional format using computer graphics. A wire-frame model of the human torso is constructed using geometrical data from several cross-sectional slices. The body surface potentials are measured and the isopotential lines drawn. By mapping the co-ordinates obtained with the isopotential line subroutine to the X, Y and Z torso arrays, a 3-dimensional representation of the depolarization wave travelling across the body surface can be displayed. The deviations from its normal path are clearly seen in the 2 clinical cardiac conditions presented (right bundle branch block and left ventricular premature beat). The increased realism and spatial resolution, as compared to ECG and the 2-dimensional contour map, lead to a clear understanding and interpretation of the underlying electrical phenomena of the heart while making a diagnosis or presenting experimental results.