Imaging the mechanical, electrical, and physiological properties of the heart

Two of the most formidable challenges when diagnosing cardiac disease are detecting blood perfusion defects and ascertaining whether those defects are ischemic and viable myocardial tissue or infarcted tissue. Current medical imaging techniques can help answer these important clinical questions through imaging of the mechanical, electrical, and physiological properties of the heart. This paper summarizes mathematical models that have been developed to investigate these properties of the heart through the use of medical imaging. Particular attention is given to the following three problems: 1. The evaluation of myocardial deformation using gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in conjunction with a mechanical boundary value problem; 2. the evaluation of myocardial conduction using magnetocardiography (MCG); and 3. the evaluation of perfusion and metabolism using dynamic cardiac SPECT. The use of medical imaging to better model myocardial properties has the potential to enable better care for cardiac patients and holds promise for even greater standards of care in the future.