High-resolution high-speed panoramic cardiac imaging system.

A panoramic cardiac imaging system consisting of three high-speed CCD cameras has been developed to image the surface electrophysiology of a rabbit heart via fluorescence imaging using a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye. A robust, unique mechanical system was designed to accommodate the three cameras and to adapt to the requirements of future experiments. A unified computer interface was created for this application - a single workstation controls all three CCD cameras, illumination, stimulation, and a stepping motor that rotates the heart. The geometric reconstruction algorithms were adapted from a previous cardiac imaging system. We demonstrate the system by imaging a polymorphic cardiac tachycardia.