Arrhythmia Management: Control of Alternans & VIEgram for analysis and visualization of electrograms to aid Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Abstract

Arrhythmia management - prediction, prevention and control of arrhythmias, is difficult mainly due to its spatiotemporal complexity and the poor understanding of mechanisms causing them. Therapies for managing arrhythmias can be focused at two macroscopic levels, namely cellular level and tissue/organ level. At cellular level, arrhythmias can be prevented by reviving the abnormal electrophysiological function of myocytes and thus preventing it from getting evolved into dangerous reentrant arrhythmias at the tissue level. For example, ventricular arrhythmias can be prevented by employing a pacing protocol to control cardiac alternans at cellular level. Whereas at tissue/organ level, the arrhythmia which is already present can be controlled. For example, the catheter ablation procedure, a procedure where tissue causing abnormal electrical activity is ablated, is used to treat AF on an organ level to return the heart back to its normal sinus rhythm. Also, at an organ level we can deal with the pre-existing factors contributing to arrhythmogenesis. Furthermore, a visualization of all the manifestations of arrhythmias on an organ level (3D models of a patient's heart) will not only help in understanding the complex spatiotemporal mechanisms behind them but will also facilitate the development of new techniques to treat them.