2. How do cardiologists study arrhythmia?
2
The activity of the heart has been
studied for years with the ECG. But
have we ever asked ourself how it was
born?
We due this discovery to
an engineer, Van Der Pol,
who lays the foundations
to make a more in-depth
study of the heartbeat.
3. 3
Based on the
propagation of the
impulses of the heart,
Van Der Pol obtain a
"hierarchy"
sinoatrial node
atrium
ventricle
Van Der Pol's idea was to
assimilate the heart to a three
degree of freedom electrical
system, each functioning as an
electrical oscillation system with
relaxation.
How did this idea come about?
4. 4
In practice…
This electric system is
made up by different
components:
• Direct current battery
• Resistor (1 megaohm)
• Capacitor with capacitance C (1*10^-6 F)
• Neon lamp
SINOATRIAL NODE ATRIUM VENTRICLE
The R system between the
second and third systems was
used to simulate injuries to
the bundle of his
atrioventricular
blocks
5. 5
This is the final system of Van Der Pol
We can compare the electrocardiogram of
the human heart and that of the artificial
heart of Van Der Pol.
We can note a similarity between the
images, there are the P wave and the
QRS complex, with the exception of the T
wave, still little studied at the time.
6. 6
Finally…
These theories and this model allowed cardiologists to study
anomalies and human heartbeats, and they still allow it today,
having laid the foundations to create the ECG
https://youtu.be/qaeKi47z4ik
From this link you can deepen your knowledge
on Van Der Pol oscillators
Sources taken from:
• file:///C:/Users/utente/OneDrive/Desktop/Balthazar_Van_der_Pol_e_i
l_primo_modello.pdf
• https://media.pearsoncmg.com/curriculum/intl/it/newlab/9788891
916990_myapp/9788891916945_ineng_17_heartbeat/index.html
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