New device for automatic recording and processing AV transmission intervals of the heart

The principle and construction of a device made for the purpose of displaying the interrelationship between two sets of cardiac intervals is described. Electrical signals derived from the atrium and ventricle of the experimental animal are fed to the input of the device where a special switch and an integrated circuit logic gate select the two sets of cardiac intervals to be measured, e.g., AA and VV or AA and AV intervals. These intervals are converted into electrical square pulses having voltages proportional to the respective intervals. Besides simply comparing the two cardiac intervals by recording them simultaneously against time, the interrelationship of the two is displayed in an X-Y configuration on-line on a cathode-ray oscilloscope. This latter method, if used only for the occasionally induced premature excitations with varied coupling time, facilitates the measurement of the functional refractory periods for atrioventricular conduction. The mode of operation of the device is presented with examples of experiments.