Abstract
Cardiac optical mapping utilises fluorescent dyes to directly image the electrical function of the heart at a high spatio-temporal resolution which far exceeds electrode techniques. It has therefore become an invaluable tool in cardiac electrophysiological research to map the propagation of heterogeneous electrical signals across the myocardium. In this review, we introduce the principles behind cardiac optical mapping and discuss some of the challenges and state of the art in the field. Key advancements discussed include newly developed fluorescent indicators, tools for the analysis of complex datasets, panoramic imaging systems and technical and computational approaches to realise optical mapping in freely beating hearts.
Highlights
The transmission of electrical impulses in the heart is vital for the coordinated contraction of the myocardium
Cardiac optical mapping utilises fluorescent dyes to directly image the electrical function of the heart at a high spatio-temporal resolution which far exceeds electrode techniques
It has become an invaluable tool in cardiac electrophysiological research to map the propagation of heterogeneous electrical signals across the myocardium
Summary
The transmission of electrical impulses in the heart is vital for the coordinated contraction of the myocardium. The hypotheses of spiral waves in atrial fibrillation (Jalife, 2003), the creation and consequence of ‘virtual electrodes’ in defibrillation (Ripplinger et al, 2009), and cardiac transmural heterogeneity (Wen et al, 2018) have all been elucidated using optical mapping technology. These insights and the continued uptake of optical mapping in cardiac research has been fuelled by significant technical advances in camera technology, fluorescent dyes and experimental design. We focus on the current state-ofthe-art and challenges
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