Comparison of Intensity-based B-splines and Point-to-Pixel Tracking Techniques for Motion Reduction in Optical Mapping

Suppression of motion artifacts (MA) in cardiac optical mapping usually requires uncoupling of cardiac contraction by restriction techniques, which are known to have important effects on cardiac physiology deteriorating the quality of acquisitions and their interpretation. In this study, we propose to assess the performance of two independent intensity-based post-processing strategies to minimize MAs during registration. A point-to-pixel block-matching classical similarity-based tracking with displacement interpolation is compared to a well-known non-rigid registration algorithm where the deformation field is obtained using cubic splines. Both strategies were tested on synthetic and real op…

Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability. Role of intrinsic cholinergic neurons: A study in the isolated rabbit heart

[EN] A study has been made of the effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability, as well as of the role of cholinergic neurons in these changes. Determinations in hearts from untrained and trained rabbits on a treadmill were performed. The hearts were isolated and perfused. A pacing electrode and a recording multielectrode were located in the left ventricle. The parameters determined during induced VF, before and after atropine (1 mu M), were: fibrillatory cycle length (VV), ventricular functional refractory period (FRPVF), normalized energy (NE) of the fibrillatory signal and its coefficient of variation (CV), and electrical ventricular activatio…

Comments on “New epicardial mapping electrode with warming/cooling function for experimental electrophysiology studies” [33 (5) (2011) 653–659]

Dominant frequency and complexity of electrical reentrant activation during ventricular fibrillation with releasing of NO after acute local stretching. A study in isolated rabbit heart

Analyzing the electrophysiological effects of local epicardial temperature in experimental studies with isolated hearts

As a result of their modulating effects upon myocardial electrophysiology, both hypo- and hyperthermia can be used to study the mechanisms that generate or sustain cardiac arrhythmias. The present study describes an original electrode developed with thick-film technology and capable of controlling regional temperature variations in the epicardium while simultaneously registering its electrical activity. In this way, it is possible to measure electrophysiological parameters of the heart at different temperatures. The results obtained with this device in a study with isolated and perfused rabbit hearts are reported. An exploration has been made of the effects of local temperature changes upon…

Simultaneous atrial and ventricular restitution and fibrillation analyses using a low-cost scalable panoramic whole-heart optical mapping configuration for whole-heart imaging of translational models

Abstract Introduction Optical mapping (OM) is the primary method for imaging electrophysiologically relevant parameters from the outer surface of Langendorff-perfused hearts. However, current panoramic OM systems are financially challenging, require multiple sensors to map wide areas of the surface with overlapping regions and missing areas of interest due to the intrinsic shape of the heart. We proposed different panoramic configurations to dynamically characterize atrial and ventricular function during arrhythmia and, in presence of a coronary occlusion. Methods We devised both a multi-sensor and a single sensor system integrated with the perfusion circuit comprising sensor elements, a co…

Dual-sided Mapping During Global Stretch Using a Custom Miniaturized Endocardial Balloon with a Multipurpose Multichannel Acquisition System for Preclinical Electrophysiological Studies

Acute regional myocardial stretch (STR) is known to induce myocardial electrophysiological modifications via mechano-electric feedback (MEF), including abnormal repolarization, premature excitation and increased complexity of activation leading to the initiation, maintenance and acceleration of arrhythmic events. Due to technical limitations little is known about intramural and endo-epicardial (ENDO-EPI) phenomena during these events. Understanding ENDO-EPI modifications produced by STR through MEF may require a dual-sided approach to simultaneously correlate macroscopic surface modifications and their independent or interconnected components. For that purpose, we optically mapped (OM) the …

2D Isochronal Correlation Method to Detect Pacing Capture during Ventricular Fibrillation

During ventricular fibrillation (VF), a portion of myocardial tissue can be captured by pacing at a rate near the fibrillation rate. Interruption of ventricular fibrillation can be favored by achieving stable myocardial capture, lowering the energy required for electrical cardioversion. Existence of myocardial capture during electrical stimulation is determined by visual inspection of electrograms (EGM) by an experienced observer. The objective of this work is the development of a semi-automatic method for the detection of myocardial capture based on the 2D correlation of isochronal maps. In 4 isolated rabbit hearts VF was induced by ventricular pacing with an increasing rate. An array of 1…

New epicardial mapping electrode with warming/cooling function for experimental electrophysiology studies

Cardiac electrical activity is influenced by temperature. In experimental models, the induction of hypothermia and/or hyperthermia has been used for the study of mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia. A system that allows for localized, controlled induction, besides simultaneously recording electrical activity in the same induced area, needs to be developed ad hoc. This article describes the construction and application of a new system capable of locally modifying the epicardial temperature of isolated hearts and of carrying out cardiac mapping with sufficient spatial resolution. The system is based on a thermoelectric refrigerator and an array of 128 stainless steel unipolar electrodes in encap…

Experimental study on the effects of physical training on the defibrillation threshold

Background: Chest compression artifacts during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) deteriorate the rhythm diagnosis of automated external defibrillators (AED). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation must therefore be interrupted for a reliable shock/no-shock decision. However, these hands-off intervals adversely affect the defibrillation success, and, in addition, pauses in chest compressions compromise circulation. An accurate diagnosis of the rhythmwhile performing CPR is therefore needed to minimize these hands-off intervals. Methods: The characteristics of the CPR artifact are very variable, and the artifact presents an important spectral overlap with human cardiac arrest rhythms. Consequently, …

A Single-sensor High-resolution Panoramic Optical Mapping Configuration for Simultaneous Non-overlapped Complete Atrial and Ventricular Parametric Imaging

Nowadays optical mapping (OM) is the primary method for imaging electrophysiologically relevant parameters from the outer surface of Langendorff-perfused hearts. This technique has become essential for comprehensively understanding mechanisms of cardiac propagation during physiological activation, arrhythmia, and therapeutic antiarrhythmic interventions in translational hearts. Panoramic whole heart optical mapping systems, using either multiple cameras, plane mirrors or a combination of both, have been developed to overcome intrinsic visualization limitations to traditional single-sensor designs. However current panoramic OM systems are financially challenging for physiology and engineerin…

Heterogeneidades inducidas en el intervalo QT mediante enfriamiento/calentamiento epicárdico local. Estudio experimental

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos La duracion anormal del intervalo QT o su dispersion se han asociado con un incremento en el riesgo de arritmias ventriculares. Se analiza el posible efecto arritmogenico de sus variaciones inducidas mediante enfriamiento y calentamiento local epicardico. Metodos En 10 corazones aislados de conejo, se modifico escalonadamente la temperatura de una region epicardica del ventriculo izquierdo (22 a 42 ° C ), registrando simultaneamente los electrogramas en dicha zona y en otra del mismo ventriculo. En ritmo sinusal, se determino el QT y el intervalo de recuperacion de la activacion y, mediante estimulacion programada, la velocidad de conduccion y la induccion d…

Epicardial-limited electrophysiological heterogeneities do not facilitate ventricular arrhythmia induction. An experimental study

The electrophysiological heterogeneities of the myocardium are associated with vulnerability to arrhythmias. This study presents an experimental heterogeneity model based on local epicardial cooling/warming.

P315Study of the induction and characteristics of ventricular fibrillation in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome

QT interval heterogeneities induced through local epicardial warming/cooling. An experimental study

[EN] ntroduction and objectives Abnormal QT interval durations and dispersions have been associated with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias. The present study examines the possible arrhythmogenic effect of inducing QT interval variations through local epicardial cooling and warming. Methods In 10 isolated rabbit hearts, the temperatures of epicardial regions of the left ventricle were modified in a stepwise manner (from 22 °C to 42 °C) with simultaneous electrogram recording in these regions and in others of the same ventricle. QT and activation-recovery intervals were determined during sinus rhythm, whereas conduction velocity and ventricular arrhythmia induction were determined dur…