A simple laboratory method for teaching how electrocardiogram is generated

摘要

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the recording of cardiac electric activity via electrodes placed on the body surface. Understanding how it is generated is crucial for students of different areas. In this work we present a simple laboratory method for teaching how ECG is generated. We propose an artificial volume conductor model, composed of a Petri dish and an ECG template, which is based on the temporal and spatial variations of an electric vector during a cardiac cycle. The simulated cardiac electric vector was generated with a current source, and voltage was measured at leads I and III of the Einthoven's triangle with Ag-AgCl electrodes.