AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 253, Issue 5 1315-H1320, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Modifications of electrode design for recording monophasic action potentials in animals and humans
M. E. Runnalls, P. M. Sutton, P. Taggart and T. Treasure
Department of Physiology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
An Ag-AgCl electrode for recording monophasic action potentials by pressure
contact is described. The electrode is mounted in a hand-held support
designed for epicardial recordings during open-heart surgery from both the
anterior and lateral walls of the left ventricle with minimal displacement
of the heart. The support allows the electrode to be manipulated without
the need for direct vision by the surgeon to any desired position while
ensuring perpendicular apposition of the electrode without risk of damage
to the myocardium. The permanently mounted electrode is also suitable for
animal experiments. The electrode may be used for endocardial recordings in
animals by direct puncture. Either a straight or curved electrode may be
chosen as dictated by the recording site. The monophasic action potentials
recorded by this electrode are of a high quality in terms of configuration,
lack of drift, and amplitude.
