Computerized cardiac mapping system.

Abstract

This thesis presents the results of the work on a computerized cardiac mapping system for recording simultaneously the signals from three electrodes placed at different sites on the heart in order to diagnose the sites causing arrhythmias. The signals are buffered, amplified, filtered and transferred to a personal computer via a multiplexing A/D converter. The computer controls the data acquisition process and stores the data in the memory. Activation times of the heart are estimated by a computer algorithm and displayed on a screen. The digitized waveforms and the vertical time marker of the activation time on each waveform are also displayed for verification. Corrections of computer-estimated activation times are possible using an interactive computer program. With this system, the region initiating an arrhythmia can be localized within a few minutes. The system has been used clinically and proved to be effective in detection of the sites of early activation causing cardiac arrhythmia.