Background
The actual task of electrocardiographic examinations is to increase the reliability of diagnosing the condition of the heart. Within the framework of this task, an important direction is the solution of the inverse problem of electrocardiography, based on the processing of electrocardiographic signals of multichannel cardio leads at known electrode coordinates in these leads (Titomir et al. Noninvasiv electrocardiotopography, 2003), (Macfarlane et al. Comprehensive Electrocardiology, 2nd ed. (Chapter 9), 2011).
Results
In order to obtain more detailed information about the electrical activity of the heart, we carry out a reconstruction of the distribution of equivalent electrical sources on the heart surface. In this area, we hold reconstruction of the equivalent sources during the cardiac cycle at relatively low hardware cost. ECG maps of electrical potentials on the surface of the torso (TSPM) and electrical sources on the surface of the heart (HSSM) were studied for different times of the cardiac cycle. We carried out a visual and quantitative comparison of these maps in the presence of pathological regions of different localization. For this purpose we used the model of the heart electrical activity, based on cellular automata.
Conclusions
The model of cellular automata allows us to consider the processes of heart excitation in the presence of pathological regions of various sizes and localization. It is shown, that changes in the distribution of electrical sources on the surface of the epicardium in the presence of pathological areas with disturbances in the conduction of heart excitation are much more noticeable than changes in ECG maps on the torso surface.
The results of the development and testing an algorithm for the physiological interpretation the results of solving the inverse problem of electrocardiography are presented. The solution to the inverse problem of electrocardiography is the distributions of equivalent current sources on the quasi-epicardium, restored from the electric potentials created by the heart on the surface of the chest. The developed algorithms are based on the space-time analysis of the distributions of equivalent current sources on the quasi-epicardium. The development and testing of the algorithm was carried out using a simulation model of the electrical activity of the heart based on cellular automata. The efficiency of the algorithm has been demonstrated when simulating the electrical activity of the heart in normal conditions, as well as in the presence of pathological changes in the myocardium in the form of areas with delayed conduction of excitation.
The challenges of constructing a noninvasive screening system for electrocardiodiagnostics, focused on visualization of electric potential maps on the surface of the epicardium, is addressed. A functional diagram of a module for recording multiple-lead electrocardiosignals is proposed, the essential component of which is a vest (in several standard sizes) worn by the subject and carrying pre-installed electrodes. Results obtained from experimental verification of the operation of the recording module are presented. The issues of computer processing of electrocardiosignals were addressed and led to the ability to obtain 2D maps of the electric potential on a spherical quasi-epicardium, these 2D maps changing synchronously with changes in the position of the time marker on electrocardiograms familiar to cardiologists.
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