Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again

We report here on our latest developments in the forward and inverse problems of electrocardiology. In the forward problem, a coupled cellular model of cardiac excitation-contraction is embedded within an anatomically realistic model of the cardiac ventricles, which is itself embedded within a torso...

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Main Authors: Pullan, A, Buist, M, Sands, G, Cheng, L, Smith, N
Format: Journal article
Published: 2003
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author Pullan, A
Buist, M
Sands, G
Cheng, L
Smith, N
author_facet Pullan, A
Buist, M
Sands, G
Cheng, L
Smith, N
author_sort Pullan, A
collection OXFORD
description We report here on our latest developments in the forward and inverse problems of electrocardiology. In the forward problem, a coupled cellular model of cardiac excitation-contraction is embedded within an anatomically realistic model of the cardiac ventricles, which is itself embedded within a torso model. This continuum modelling framework allows the effects of cellular-level activity on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) to be carefully examined. Furthermore, the contributions of contraction and local ischemia on body surface recordings can also be elucidated. Such information can provide theoretical limits to the sensitivity and ultimately the detection capability of body surface ECG recordings. Despite being very useful, such detailed forward modelling is not directly applicable when seeking to use densely sampled ECG information to assess a patient in a clinical environment (the inverse problem). In such a situation patient specific models must be constructed and, due to the nature of the inverse problem, the level of detail that can be reliably reproduced is limited. Extensive simulation studies have shown that the accuracy with which the heart is localised within the torso is the primary limiting factor. To further identify the practical performance capabilities of the current inverse algorithms, high quality experimental data is urgently needed. We have been working towards such an objective with a number of groups, including our local hospital in Auckland. At that hospital, in patients undergoing catheter ablation surgery, up to 256 simultaneous body surface signals were recorded by using various catheter pacing protocols. The geometric information required to customize the heart and torso model was obtained using a combination of ultrasound and laser scanning technologies. Our initial results indicate that such geometric imaging modalities are sufficient to produce promising inversely-constructed activation profiles.
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spelling oxford-uuid:75d66c05-f82a-4219-a716-fbb550695cda2022-03-26T20:11:56ZCardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back againJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:75d66c05-f82a-4219-a716-fbb550695cdaDepartment of Computer Science2003Pullan, ABuist, MSands, GCheng, LSmith, NWe report here on our latest developments in the forward and inverse problems of electrocardiology. In the forward problem, a coupled cellular model of cardiac excitation-contraction is embedded within an anatomically realistic model of the cardiac ventricles, which is itself embedded within a torso model. This continuum modelling framework allows the effects of cellular-level activity on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) to be carefully examined. Furthermore, the contributions of contraction and local ischemia on body surface recordings can also be elucidated. Such information can provide theoretical limits to the sensitivity and ultimately the detection capability of body surface ECG recordings. Despite being very useful, such detailed forward modelling is not directly applicable when seeking to use densely sampled ECG information to assess a patient in a clinical environment (the inverse problem). In such a situation patient specific models must be constructed and, due to the nature of the inverse problem, the level of detail that can be reliably reproduced is limited. Extensive simulation studies have shown that the accuracy with which the heart is localised within the torso is the primary limiting factor. To further identify the practical performance capabilities of the current inverse algorithms, high quality experimental data is urgently needed. We have been working towards such an objective with a number of groups, including our local hospital in Auckland. At that hospital, in patients undergoing catheter ablation surgery, up to 256 simultaneous body surface signals were recorded by using various catheter pacing protocols. The geometric information required to customize the heart and torso model was obtained using a combination of ultrasound and laser scanning technologies. Our initial results indicate that such geometric imaging modalities are sufficient to produce promising inversely-constructed activation profiles.
spellingShingle Pullan, A
Buist, M
Sands, G
Cheng, L
Smith, N
Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title_full Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title_fullStr Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title_full_unstemmed Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title_short Cardiac electrical activity–from heart to body surface and back again
title_sort cardiac electrical activity from heart to body surface and back again
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AT buistm cardiacelectricalactivityfromhearttobodysurfaceandbackagain
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AT chengl cardiacelectricalactivityfromhearttobodysurfaceandbackagain
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