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Modeling bipolar stimulation of cardiac tissue
Suran K Galappaththige1, Richard A Gray2, Bradley J Roth1
1Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, USA.
Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)
|October 2, 2017
Summary
Bipolar cardiac stimulation analysis reveals complex activation patterns and unique excitation phenomena, like break excitation, impacting pacemaker design. This contrasts with unipolar stimulation, offering new insights for cardiac pacing.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computational Biology
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
Background:
- Unipolar cardiac stimulation is common in pacemakers due to low resting tissue depolarization current.
- Bipolar stimulation advantages are unclear at short coupling intervals when tissue is refractory.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze bipolar cardiac stimulation.
- Investigate the strength-interval relationship for bipolar stimulation.
- Compare bipolar and unipolar stimulation effects on cardiac tissue activation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the bidomain model for cardiac tissue simulation.
- Employed a parsimonious ionic current model.
- Calculated strength-interval relationships with varying electrode configurations and separations.
Main Results:
- Bipolar stimulation produces more complex activation patterns than unipolar stimulation.
- A low threshold stimulus current was observed at 1 mm electrode separation due to break excitation.
- Anode break excitation is absent in bipolar stimulation; a switch to cathode make excitation causes significant threshold changes.
Conclusions:
- Bipolar stimulation exhibits unique excitation mechanisms (break excitation) not seen in unipolar stimulation.
- Electrode arrangement significantly influences bipolar stimulation outcomes.
- Findings may inform the design of implantable pacemakers and defibrillators.
