Benchtop optical mapping approaches to study arrhythmias

This chapter offers an overview of optical mapping concepts and provides details related to various applications of this technique to visualize the normal and abnormal rhythms of the heart. It enables the visualization of activation propagation and determination of relative conduction velocity of electrical activity of the heart and can be used to assess action potential duration at various levels of repolarization. Optical mapping can also be utilized to visualize different types of arrhythmias in the heart, such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. This technique has been widely employed to visualize, predict, and control the onset of abnormal cardiac rhythms such as alternans. Optical mapping can also be beneficial in studying acute changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties of the heart during various disease states and also to develop and evaluate therapeutic strategies.