Key result
Novel plunge electrode array accurately maps three-dimensional cardiac conductivity in preclinical validation.
Why the study?
Experimental confirmation of the concept that three unique intracellular electrical conductances exist at any point in the ventricular wall was lacking.
A novel plunge electrode array was developed and validated in vitro to enable three-dimensional determination of electrical conductivity in cardiac tissue.
May refine computational models of cardiac conduction; leaves open clinical translation and in vivo validation.
The heart's response to electrical shock, electrical propagation in sinus rhythm, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of ventricular fibrillation all depend critically on the electrical anisotropy of cardiac tissue. Analysis of the microstructure of the heart predicts that three unique intracellular electrical conductances can be defined at any point in the ventricular wall; however, to date, there has been no experimental confirmation of this concept. We report the design, fabrication, and validation of a novel plunge electrode array capable of addressing this issue. A new technique involving nylon coating of 24G hypodermic needles is performed to achieve nonconductive electrodes that can be combined to give moderate-density multisite intramural measurement of extracellular potential in the heart. Each needle houses 13 silver wires within a total diameter of 0.7 mm, and the combined electrode array gives 137 sites of recording. The ability of the electrode array to accurately assess conductances is validated by mapping the potential field induced by a point current source within baths of saline of varying concentration. A bidomain model of current injection in the heart is then used to test an approximate relationship between the monodomain conductivities measured by the array, and the full set of bidomain conductivities that describe cardiac tissue.
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Hooks et al. (2008) studied Cardiac tissue conductivity. Plunge electrode array was evaluated on Validation of the electrode array to accurately assess conductances. A novel plunge electrode array with 137 recording sites was designed, fabricated, and validated for three-dimensional determination of conductivity in the heart.
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