The Inverse Problem Utilizing the Boundary Element Method for a Nonstandard Female Torso

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method of rapidly deriving the transfer matrix for the boundary element method (BEM) forward problem from a tailored female torso geometry in the clinical setting. The method allows rapid calculation of epicardial potentials (EP) from body surface potentials (BSP). The use of EPs in previous studies has been shown to improve the successful detection of the life-threatening cardiac condition--acute myocardial infarction. The MRI scanning of a cardiac patient in the clinical setting is not practical and other methods are required to accurately deduce torso geometries for calculation of the transfer matrix. The new method allows the noninvasive calculation of tailored torso geometries from a standard female torso and five measurements taken from the body surface of a patient. This scaling of the torso has been successfully validated by carrying out EP calculations on 40 scaled torsos and ten female subjects. It utilizes the BEM in the calculation of the transfer matrix as the BEM depends only upon the topology of the surfaces of the torso and the heart, the former can now be accurately deduced, leaving only the latter geometry as an unknown.

Three-Dimensional Noninvasive Imaging of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Premature Ventricular Contractions

“…With linearization techniques of modern numerical methods such as the Boundary Element Method (BEM) [38], the above governing equation can be reformatted as: trueΦ→=LtrueJ→ where L stands for the transfer matrix and ϕ represents body surface potentials and equivalent current density, respectively.…”

Noninvasive Imaging of Cardiac Excitation: Current Status and Future Perspective

“…The BEM allows relatively fast calculations as long as only a limited number of boundaries are present. 43…”

Effects of torso mesh density and electrode distribution on the accuracy of electrocardiographic imaging during atrial fibrillation

“…The properties of the 3D torso geometry have been proven to affect the calculation of the ECGI. Accurate reconstructions ( Messinger-Rapport and Rudy, 1990 ) of the anatomy of the patient’s body and the use of real dimensions in the torso model ( Jamison et al, 2011 ) show more precise results. Incorporation of inner organs into the geometry of the problem has not shown a major impact on the shape of ECGI potentials ( Ramanathan and Rudy, 2001 ).…”