Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Far from FDA approved, or even a human feasibility to date, but a really cool story about a private investor empowering a dedicated physician scientist to continue on his path toward better catheter ablation outcomes:
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/uvm-researcher-develops-afib-treatment/Content?oid=2698733
Dr. Spector's research papers are pretty physics and computation heavy. He describes most present-day ablations as 'blind', or one size fits all, which is not exactly comforting. Encouraging to see this research funded and ongoing. Note the fourth link below is a review article that summarizes some of the hard core electrophysiology of a-fib.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25362159
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25022983
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24036225
http://circep.ahajournals.org/content/6/3/655.long
Equally encouraging to see the patent applications:
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200572?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200429?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200471?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/uvm-researcher-develops-afib-treatment/Content?oid=2698733
Dr. Spector's research papers are pretty physics and computation heavy. He describes most present-day ablations as 'blind', or one size fits all, which is not exactly comforting. Encouraging to see this research funded and ongoing. Note the fourth link below is a review article that summarizes some of the hard core electrophysiology of a-fib.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25362159
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25022983
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24036225
http://circep.ahajournals.org/content/6/3/655.long
Equally encouraging to see the patent applications:
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200572?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200429?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ
https://www.google.com/patents/US20140200471?dq=spector+atrial+fibrillation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1KeYVZiZJIS-ggSKroaQDQ&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg
The fourth link gives an excellent technical overview of depolarization currents and serves as a very good tutorial of what goes on in afib and aflutter. Of interest to me is the mention of fibrous tissue contributing to the formation of the reentry circuits. I suspect such fibrous tissue form as people age - even those without any other issues. I have seen other EPs mention fibrous tissue.