Magnetic field of the cardiac conduction system (invited)

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Abstract
An overview is given of recent progress in our understanding of the magnetic field of the human cardiac conduction system. This field, of the order of 0.5 pT, has been mapped with a first‐order SQUID gradiometer in a rural location having the very low overall noise level of 6×10−3 pT/√Hz. Measurements of similar sensitivity in an ordinary clinical environment have not yet been attempted but we discuss a new approach to noise reduction which should permit this to be achieved. A theoretical model, based on an electrophysiological description of the nerve fibers of the cardiac conduction system accounts quantitatively for the principal features of the existing observations. This constitutes a first step toward the extraction of clinically useful information from magnetic measurements of the conduction system. An extension of this approach is discussed, which promises to supply useful information on abnormal as well as normal subjects.

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