01940nas a2200289 4500008004100000022001400041245008300055210006900138260001200207300001100219490000800230520115000238653001201388653000901400653001001409653001601419653002401435653002301459653002701482653001001509100001901519700001701538700001701555700001701572700001401589856004701603 1992 eng d a0028-083600aStationary and drifting spiral waves of excitation in isolated cardiac muscle.0 aStationary and drifting spiral waves of excitation in isolated c c01/1992 a349-510 v3553 a
Excitable media can support spiral waves rotating around an organizing centre. Spiral waves have been discovered in different types of autocatalytic chemical reactions and in biological systems. The so-called 're-entrant excitation' of myocardial cells, causing the most dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, could be the result of spiral waves. Here we use a potentiometric dye in combination with CCD (charge-coupled device) imaging technology to demonstrate spiral waves in the heart muscle. The spirals were elongated and the rotation period, Ts, was about 180 ms (3-5 times faster than normal heart rate). In most episodes, the spiral was anchored to small arteries or bands of connective tissue, and gave rise to stationary rotations. In some cases, the core drifted away from its site of origin and dissipated at a tissue border. Drift was associated with a Doppler shift in the local excitation period, T, with T ahead of the core being about 20% shorter than T behind the core.
10aAnimals10aDogs10aHeart10aMathematics10aMembrane Potentials10aModels, Biological10aMyocardial Contraction10aSheep1 aDavidenko, J M1 aPertsov, A V1 aSalomonsz, R1 aBaxter, Bill1 aJalife, J uhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1731248