Deep-learning-based electrode action potential mapping (DEAP Mapping) from annotation-free unipolar electrogram

TL;DR

DEAP Mapping is a novel deep learning approach that reconstructs membrane potentials from unipolar ECG signals, enabling detailed AF substrate visualization and improved detection of conduction delays and blocks.

Contribution

It introduces a deep learning model that estimates membrane potentials from annotation-free unipolar ECGs, surpassing existing methods in accuracy and clinical applicability.

Findings

Accurately estimated conduction delays and blocks in ex vivo experiments

High similarity (>0.8 SSIM) between optical mapping and DEAP Mapping results

Detected additional conduction delays and blocks in clinical settings

Abstract

Catheter ablation has limited therapeutic efficacy against non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), and electrophysiological studies using mapping catheters have been applied to evaluate the AF substrate. However, many of these approaches rely on detecting excitation timing from electrograms (ECGs), potentially compromising their effectiveness in complex AF scenarios. Herein, we introduce Deep-learning-based Electrode Action Potential Mapping (DEAP Mapping), a deep learning model designed to reconstruct membrane potential images from annotation-free unipolar ECG signals. We conducted ex vivo experiments using porcine hearts (N = 6) to evaluate the accuracy of DEAP Mapping by simultaneously performing fluorescence measurement of membrane potentials and measurements of epicardial unipolar ECGs. Membrane potentials estimated via DEAP Mapping were compared with those measured via optical mapping. We assessed the clinical applicability of DEAP Mapping by comparing the DEAP Mapping's estimations from clinically measured catheter electrode signals with those from established electrode-mapping techniques. DEAP Mapping accurately estimated conduction delays and blocks in ex vivo experiments. Phase variance analysis, an AF substrate evaluation method, revealed that the substrate identified from optical mapping closely resembled that identified from DEAP Mapping estimations (structural similarity index of >0.8). In clinical evaluations, DEAP Mapping estimation observed several conduction delays and blocks that were not observed with existing methods, indicating that DEAP Mapping can estimate excitation patterns with higher spatiotemporal resolution. DEAP Mapping has a potential to derive detailed changes in membrane potential from intra-operative catheter electrode signals, offering enhanced visualisation of the AF substrate from the estimated membrane potentials.