title: Ultrasonic cardiac pacing in the porcine model.
abstract: Periodic pulses of intense ultrasound energy at 70 kHz with 5-ms duration at 3 MPa SPL applied to the exposed pig myocardium at physiologic rhythms were observed to produce cardiac pacing. Ten animals were successfully paced at pulse width and energy conditions above a certain threshold. Sigmoid strength-duration curves characterizing ultrasound's effectiveness in pacing were observed to resemble those of electrical stimulation. We suggest that bioelectrical stimulatory effects of ultrasound on the heart are a radiation pressure effect and a manifestation of the known myocyte sensitivity to stretch.
authors.affiliation: Arizona State University, Bioengineering Department, Fulton College of Engineering, Tempe, AZ 85202-9709, USA. bruce.towe@asu.edu
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Towe
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D013552:Swine; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*