A microcomputer-based cardiac mapping system for recurrent ventricular tachycardia surgery

The authors present a system which allows the mapping of the electrical activity of the heart, aiming at locating the ectopic focus when performing open heart surgery for recurrent ventricular tachycardia correction. This open-heart surgery system allows the acquisition and analysis of the electrical signal at up to 256 points on the heart surface at a given time, allowing 3-D maps of the electrical activation of the heart to be generated and displayed under user control. The experiments in dogs and the first surgery in humans have suggested that the system is safe, simple to use, reliable, and accurate. >