Continuous localization of cardiac activation sites using a database of multichannel ECG recordings

Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular extrasystoles have a sp ecific exit site that can be localized using the multichannel surface elect rocardiogram (ECG) and a database of paced ECG recordings. An algorithm is presented that improves on previous methods by providing a continuous estim ate of the coordinates of the exit site instead of selecting one out of 25 predetermined segments. The accuracy improvement is greatest, and most usef ul, when adjacent pacing sites in individual patients are localized relativ e to each other. Important advantages of the new method are the objectivity and reproducibility of the localization results.