Optimizing defibrillation electrodes: automating the search for better configurations

Abstract

A program has been developed that automatically optimizes internal defibrillation electrode shape, size and position with respect to the heart according to a number of useful criteria, such as electric field uniformity, current density and power density. The program design, some preliminary numerical experiments and their results are presented.

Development of Device Therapy for Ventricular Arrhythmias

“…68 Computer modelling of the shock electric field can be used for such optimisation. 69,70 Defibrillator Size and Weight While current cardioverter defibrillator devices are very sophisticated, their principle and basic operation remains the same today as it did 20 years ago: batteries, capacitor for high charge output, microprocessing unit for electrogram sensing, data capture, processing and storage and control of therapy delivery, a header for lead connection and two-way telemetry for device programming and data retrieval.…”