Can Fat Deposition After Myocardial Infarction Alter the Performance of RF Catheter Ablation of Scar‐Related Ventricular Tachycardia?: Results from a Computer Modeling Study

Abstract

Introduction: The outcomes of catheter ablation of scar-mediated ventricular tachycardia

Computer Modeling of Irrigated-tip Electrodes During RF Cardiac Ablation: Comparative Analysis between Including and Excluding the Problem of Fluid Dynamics

“…Each coefficient was calculated under conditions of high and low blood velocity flow as in [1]. The effect of saline irrigation through the holes at the electrode tip was modeled by fixing a constant temperature of 40ºC only in the cylindrical zone of the electrode tip (see Figure 1), leaving the semispherical tip inserted into the tissue free, as in previous computational studies [3,4]. This temperature value was chosen due to its similarity with that obtained with multi-hole electrodes in clinical practice [9].…”

“…The openirrigated electrode has multi-holes distributed around its entire distal tip, through which a saline solution is continuously flushing and mixing with the circulating blood. In the case of the approximate method, the saline irrigation was modeled by fixing a temperature at the electrode tip [3,4], while in the accurate method this was done using an inlet velocity boundary condition applied to the electrode surface with the irrigation holes [2]. The dispersive electrode was always modeled as an electrical boundary condition at a distance from the active electrode (bottom surface).…”

“…Computer modeling is an analysis technique broadly used in studies on cardiac catheter ablation (RFCA) [1][2][3][4]. In order to obtain accurate results, the model has to be as realistic as possible, which implies ever more complicated mathematical formulations, especially in the case of modeling irrigated-tip electrodes for RFCA.…”

“…Furthermore, the fluid dynamics problem forces the model to be three-dimensional, with the consequent additional computational cost. As an alternative, an approximate method aimed at avoiding the fluid dynamics problem that works with a bidimensional model has been used in previous studies [3,4]. Briefly, thermal cooling due to electrode irrigation was modeled by holding a fixed temperature similar to that registered in clinical practice in a zone of the electrode-tip.…”

RF-energised intracoronary guidewire to enhance bipolar ablation of the interventricular septum:in-silicofeasibility study

“…previous computational studies [9,12,16]. This approximation for modelling an irrigated electrode is able to predict lesion depth and also the maximum temperature reached in the tissue at all times during ablation [17].…”