The high-resolution optical mapping of cardiac electrical activity

Abstract

High-resolution optical mapping based on voltage-sensitive dyes is a relatively new technology that is used to “image” electrical activity in a wide range, from the level of cellular to the whole heart. By using optical recording it is possible to overcome several limitations of other conventional mapping techniques and to depict complex propagation patterns of cardiac transmembrane potentials while it has been proven to be very useful for illuminating basic electrophysiological development. Strategies for maximizing signal-to-noise ratios and removing motion artifacts are the research emphases. Currently, two types of devices dominate in this field, Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) and Photo Diode Arrays (PDA), and some algorithms correcting motion artifacts are used in data processing. In this article, we have attempted to conduct and present a comprehensive review and a perspective of this rapidly developing novel field.