WAVE MAPPING - DETECTION OF COEXISTING MULTIPLE WAVE-FRONTS IN HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRICAL MAPPING

High-resolution mapping makes it possible to reconstruct and display t he conduction pattern of the action potential as it propagates through cardiac or smooth muscles. During slow and regular activity, time map ping of the spread of activation is relatively simple and straightforw ard. However, when frequencies are high or conduction is slow, such as seen during atrial fibrillation or found in the pregnant uterus, the tracking of individual waves may become more difficult and uncertain. In order to reconstruct the pathway of a single wave, a search and sor ting routine was developed which makes it possible to distinguish, tra ck and display individual wavelets. The algorithm is able to detect va riations in conduction block, spontaneous shifts in the location of th e pacemaker and changes in the direction of conduction. It is less sen sitive when two or more wavefronts intermingle in space and time, such as during collision or fusion. Wave mapping is especially useful, in addition to current time mapping, in sorting quickly through the large amount of data produced by high-resolution mapping of electrical acti vities in cardiac and smooth muscle.