Cardiac Dipole & Electrocardiography Vector

Biomedical Engineering

How It Works

The electrical activation sequence of the myocardium can be modeled as an equivalent rotating cardiac electrical dipole vector (p⃗) suspended inside the volume conductor of the human torso. As depolarization spreads through atrial tissue, the ventricular septum, and the apex, the dipole vector sweeps out the characteristic P-QRS-T electrocardiographic sequence projected onto Einthoven's limb leads.

Governing Equation
V_lead = (p⃗ · d⃗_lead) / (4π · σ · r²) , V_I = Φ_LA - Φ_RA , V_II = Φ_LL - Φ_RA