Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3
. A burst of activity recorded using a calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye in a tissue cul-
ture preparation of embryonic chick heart cells. The isochronal maps below the tracing show the
evolution of the activity at different stages of the burst. Adapted with permission from Bub,
Glass, and Shrier (1998) (36).
of procedures and medications that can reduce the incidence and mitigate the
consequences of cardiac infarcts; devices such as pacemakers, antitachycardia
pacers, and defibrillators that help to control the cardiac rhythm; and ablation
procedures that can help eliminate the anatomical substrate of some types of
arrhythmia. Although some of this work involves sophisticated technology, this
technology has largely been developed by engineers working in collaboration
with cardiologists. To date, the sorts of nonlinear theoretical insights that have
been discussed above have not provided a significant impetus or contribution to
the advances. An interesting question is whether nonlinear dynamical analyses
will be helpful in the development of new medical approaches or the improve-
ment of current approaches. At the moment several new strategies are being
explored.
There are many different algorithms that are being developed to help assess
the risk of sudden cardiac death. One of these approaches is based on the obser-
