Automated, interactive cardiac electrophysiology testing

An automated system that performs all of the functions required for complete evaluation of the intracardiac conduction system, for inducing, terminating, and analyzing various dysrhythmias, and for locating and characterizing accessory atrioventricular connections and ectopic foci, is described. In the first year of operation, the system was used to conduct 210 electrophysiology tests. These ranged from simple postoperative evaluation of the conduction system to complete tachycardia studies during pharmacological manipulation of the patient. Patient age at time of catheterization ranged from six days to 70 years, with a median age of eight years and seven months. The single most significant advantage of the system is the ability to provide information on a real-time basis, permitting the electrophysiologist to analyze, modify, extend, or curtail the test procedure