Predicting the optimal position and direction of a ubiquitous ECG using a multi-scale model of cardiac electrophysiology

In this study, we determined the optimal position and direction of a one-channel bipolar electrocardiogram (ECG), used ubiquitously in healthcare. To do this, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) electrophysiological model of the heart coupled with a torso model that can generate a virtual body surface potential map (BSPM). Finite element models of the atria and ventricles incorporated the electrophysiological dynamics of atrial and ventricular myocytes, respectively. The torso model, in which the electric wave pattern on the cardiac tissue is reflected onto the body surface, was implemented using a boundary element method. Using the model, we derived the optimal positions of two electrodes, 5 cm apart, of the bipolar ubiquitous ECG (U-ECG) for detecting the P, R, and T waves. This model can be used as a simulation tool to design U-ECG device for use for various arrhythmia and normal patients.