Quantitative algorithm for the localization of the origin of ectopic ventricular beats using catheter pace mapping

In the treatment of a ventricular tachycardia by radiofrequency ablation, it is essential to position the tip of the catheter at the origin of the arrhythmia. A quantitative algorithm has been developed to estimate the site of origin of the arrhythmia on the basis of paced QRS integral maps and the corresponding spatial coordinates of the catheter tip positions. The algorithm has been validated by simulation, using catheter pace maps and spatial coordinates obtained in WPW-patients undergoing RF ablation. When assuming a coupled linear relation between coordinates of the catheter tip positions and the pace map, 71% of the required positions were estimated with an accuracy within the resolution of the position measurements.