The myocardium-electrode interface at the macro level

  • W. Irnich

Abstract

‘The physiologic electrode is a device that provides an interface between living tissue and a machine — for example, between the patient and a diagnostic or therapeutic instrument’ [1]. The following paragraphs will be restricted to the electrode’s contact with the myocardial wall and to the attached sensing amplifier, whether used as a diagnostic tool (catheterization) or for therapeutic purposes (synchronization of antitachy- or antibradycardia devices). When discussing the requirements for electrodes and amplifiers, it must be clear for which purpose they are to be used. If, for instance, the heart rate will only be derived from the registration procedure or if spontaneous activity may be present or not, then the amplifier can be confined to special features. Therefore, our goal will be to describe the myocardium-electrode interface under the aspect of recording heart signals from its surface undistorted, so that even the fastest intrinsic deflection will be faithfully reproduced and the slowest T wave can be detected.

Keywords

Macro Level Diffuse Zone Myocardial Wall Heart Signal Atrial Electrogram 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1994

Authors and Affiliations

  • W. Irnich

There are no affiliations available

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