Prediction of implantable ECG lead systems by using thorax models

Wireless and inductively powered implant for measuring electrocardiogram

The development of an active implantable device for measuring electrocardiogram (ECG) is presented. The study is a part of a project which aims at developing implantable ECG instrumentation with wireless data and power transfer ( http://www.ele.tut.fi/tule ). The developed implant presented here has all the measurement electronics as well as power and data communication instrumentation included. The implant itself contains no battery, while power for the implant is transferred electromagnetically from an external reader device. The results of testing the implant attached on the body surface and in vitro in a water container are also presented. The developed system was also successfully tested in in vivo measurements, which were conducted on four cows with an implantation time of 24 h. The in vivo testing of implant in cows was conducted by a veterinarian in supervised conditions under approved animal experiment licence.

Finite difference and lead field methods in designing implantable ECG monitor

To minimize time-consuming and expensive in vitro and in vivo testing, information regarding the effects of implantation and the implants on measurements should be available during the designing of active implantable devices measuring bioelectric signals such as electrocardiograms (ECG). Modeling offers a fairly inexpensive and effective means of studying and demonstrating the effects of implantation on ECG measurements prior to any in vivo tests, and can thus provide the designer with valuable information. Finite difference model (FDM) and lead field approaches offer straightforward and effective modeling methods supporting the designing of active implantable ECG devices. The present study demonstrates such methods in developing and studying ECG implants. They were applied in demonstrating the effects of implant dimensions and of electrode implantation on the measurement sensitivity of the ECG device. The results of the simulations indicated that the interelectrode distance is the factor of the implant design determining the lead sensitivity. Other parameters related implant dimensions and shape have minor effect on the morphology of the ECG or on the average sensitivity of the measurement. This is shown for example when the interelectrode distance was reduced to 1/3 of original the average lead sensitivity decreased by 69.1% while larger relative changes in other dimensions produced clearly smaller changes. It was also observed here that implanting the electrodes deeper under the skin has major effects on the local sensitivities in heart muscle and thus affect to the morphology of the ECG. The study indicated also that non-conducting medium (i.e. implant insulated body) between the electrodes increases the sensitivity on heart muscle compared to cases where only electrodes are implanted.