Language
English
Publication Date
1-2-2024
Journal
Nature Communications
DOI
10.1038/s41467-023-44419-0
PMID
38167848
PMCID
PMC10762156
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
1-2-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
There is an urgent clinical need for a treatment regimen that addresses the underlying pathophysiology of ventricular arrhythmias, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death. The current report describes the design of an injectable hydrogel electrode and successful deployment in a pig model with access far more refined than any current pacing modalities allow. In addition to successful cardiac capture and pacing, analysis of surface ECG tracings and three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping revealed a QRS morphology comparable to native sinus rhythm, strongly suggesting the hydrogel electrode captures the deep septal bundle branches and Purkinje fibers. In an ablation model, electroanatomic mapping data demonstrated that the activation wavefront from the hydrogel reaches the mid-myocardium and endocardium much earlier than current single-point pacing modalities. Such uniform activation of broad swaths of tissue enables an opportunity to minimize the delayed myocardial conduction of heterogeneous tissue that underpins re-entry. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the feasibility of a new pacing modality that most closely resembles native conduction with the potential to eliminate lethal re-entrant arrhythmias and provide painless defibrillation.
Keywords
Animals, Swine, Bundle of His, Hydrogels, Cardiac Pacing, Artificial, Purkinje Fibers, Electrodes, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Electrocardiography, Cardiac device therapy, Biomaterials, Biomedical engineering, Diagnostic devices, Electronic devices
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez-Rivera, Gabriel J; Post, Allison; John, Mathews; et al., "Injectable Hydrogel Electrodes As Conduction Highways To Restore Native Pacing" (2024). Faculty and Staff Publications. 4176.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/4176