Fibre optic sensor for recording of action potentials

The paper presents a fibre optic sensor used for mapping electrical activity of the heart. The sensor is based on the use of a voltage-sensitive dye applied to an examined tissue. The intensity of the dye´s fluorescent emission is proportional to the local electrical potential. The sensor is a part of an optical-electrical recording system used to collect data from animal heart preparations. The system allows simultaneous non-invasive recording of action potentials from the heart surface and electrograms from electrodes.