A Method for Measuring 3D Cardiac Surface Mechanics with High‐Speed Structured Light Imaging

Abstract

Cardiac disease often manifests as a combination of electrical and mechanical remodeling. The relationship between whole‐heart epicardial mechanics and electrophysiology is crucial to our understanding of cardiac arrhythmias in the settings of heart failure. While advances in imaging technology have allowed for accurate descriptions of surface deformation in 2D and 3D, current imaging technologies are often hampered by poor temporal resolution that limits imaging to repeated patterns. Moreover, structural correspondences are often achieved with fiducial markers attached to finite locations—limiting the resolution for mechanical analysis. Here, we demonstrate the potential of a high‐speed structured light imaging system to capture and describe whole‐heart 3D epicardial motion. Additionally, we developed a novel motion‐tracking algorithm to form correspondences between 3D frames. All imaging was performed on isolated rabbits hearts (n = 4), Langendorff‐perfused with oxygenated Tyrode's solution at a constant pressure of 60 mmHg. By combining our structured light imaging system with surface registration, we are able to image and describe cardiac motion at more than 200,000 locations and kHz frames rates during normal sinus rhythm, ventricular pacing, and ventricular fibrillation. Our new method will allow combined electro‐mechanical imaging of intact hearts. Supported by NIH Grant RO1 HL067322.