American scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have found a way to reduce energy costs when operating defibrillators by 1000 times without loss of efficiency. The study was published in the scientific journal Chaos.
During a normal rhythm, electrochemical waves generated by cells at the top of the atria travel throughout the heart, causing synchronized contractions.
During arrhythmias such as fibrillation, the excitation waves begin to rotate rapidly instead of spreading and leaving the tissue.
The authors applied a conjugate optimization method aimed at achieving defibrillation. To do this, they used an electrophysical model to calculate the minimum voltage required to eliminate irregular cardiac activity.
The results showed that changing the electric field profile blocked rotating waves, normalizing the contraction frequency.
According to scientists, their proposed method will also avoid pain and tissue damage caused by powerful electrical discharge.
