EKG++: interactive vectorcardiography learning software with animations of body surface potential maps.
Download Demo (7 MB)
Vectorcardiography
The X, Y, and Z signals of the Frank-lead system are displayed in the
form of dynamic vectorcardiograms in four different referential
systems: 3D, frontal plane, horizontal plane, and left sagittal plane.
A different color is assigned for each of the P wave, QRS complex, and
T wave.
Body surface potential
mapping
Body surface potential maps are generated using the heart dipole theory
and a realistic torso model. The heart position is calculated to
minimize the error between the simulated electric potential and the
potential recorded by the chest electrodes.
Learning cases
The library consists of 32 real cases divided into five sections:
normal variants (7 cases), myocardial infarction (12 cases),
bundle-branch block (7 cases), ventricular hypertrophy (3 cases), and
Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern (3 cases).
Test cases
Fifty standard 12-lead EKG tracings are included for practice.
Navigation through the cases is straightforward and answers are
provided.
Help
The help includes chapters that introduce the basis of
electrocardiography, some important concepts such as the cardiac dipole
and the electrical axis of the heart, vectorcardiography, and ECG
diagnoses related to the learning cases covered in the software.
Limitations
One torso model that fits all cases is used to simulate the body
surface potential mappings. Due to inter-individual variations in the
thorax shape and chest electrode positions, the calculated electric
potential does not always correspond to the recorded potential.
However, the overall picture of the mappings during the time course of
the electrocardiogram is preserved.
System requirements