[Electrodes for epicardial electrical mapping]

Medical-technical characteristics of electrodes for epicardial mapping are examined. Most electrodes are bipolar. The differences between them lies either in the contact configuration or in the fixation mode. The dependence of biosignal amplitude and shape on the contact orientation with respect to the direction of excitation spread is described. Free from this dependence are electrodes with a central point contact and a ring contact through the periphery Clinging and screw-in electrodes are useful for long-term monitoring while stick and suction electrodes are recommended for short-term recording from multiple sites. Ring electrodes put on a finger are advantageous in hardly accessible zones.