Cardiac arrhythmias were always of big interest to practical cardiologists. Cardiology symposiums, conferences and research activities feature problems of arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment. Undivided attention to this issue is attracted by development of new non-medicament ways of arrhythmia treatment. Introduction of high-tech medical equipment into clinical praxis allows for considerable increase in treatment efficacy of different cardiac rhythm and conductibility abnormalities.

In recent years interventional arrhythmology developed into an independent branch. It involved achievements in clinical cardiac electrophysiology and cardiology, cardiosurgery and cardiac electrotherapy. Composite nature of cardiac function regulation in a human body and variety of pathologic abnormalities underlying cardiac rhythm resulted in intense flow of information regarding cardiac nature, its diseases and possible ways of arrhythmia radical removal. Improvement of treatment methods and medical equipment makes high demands of specialists working in the field of interventional arrhythmology.

Opened in 1980 the Department of Cardiac Arrhythmias of Tomsk Research Institute of Cardiology (division of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Russian Federation) now became a regional Siberian Center of Cardiac Arrhythmias. During these years we managed to do a lot for advancement of cardiac arrhythmias treatment not only in Tomsk but also in Siberia and the Far East through the establishment of several new arrhythmology departments in major cities across the country, introduction of new methods of diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders into clinical praxis, organization of training courses in electrophysiology, etc. This work was supported by the federal arrhythmology center and close cooperation with biomedical engineers developing medical devices for the growing needs of electrophysiology.

Basic lines of research and practical activities of the department of cardiac arrhythmias were started by prof. Vikentiy V. Pekarskiy, member of Academy of Medical Sciences of RF and prof. Evald Gimrich. Afterwards doctors of the department developed and applied in clinical praxis methods and devices for diagnostic and therapeutic electrical cardiac pacing, various original methods of arrhythmia drug therapy, methods and devices for intracardiac ablation of tachycardias and tachyarrhythmias.

Diagnostic and therapeutic services of the department include nearly all up-to-date methods of drug and interventional treatment of arrhythmias, i.e. pacemaker and ICD implantation, catheter ablation of tachycardias, etc. Many of these procedures are conducted using medical equipment manufactured by ELECTROPULSE company.

In 1990 our R&D done together with biomedical engineers of ELECTROPULSE resulted in development of the very first Russian radiofrequency generator. It was successively exploited in medical centers throughout Russia. Then the universal electrophysiologic system ELKART was designed. It is intended to be used for diagnostic cardiac pacing, precise identification of arrhythmia structure and radical RF ablation of tachycardias. These achievements rose Russian arrhythmology to higher levels of quality and efficacy of different cardiac rhythm disorders treatment. Method of radiofrequency catheter ablation became an indispensable tool for removal and prevention of arrhythmias. Today an arrhythmologist are provided with a wide choice of medical equipment. Many manufacturers offer electrophysiology systems, diagnostic pacemakers, radiofrequency generators, temperature-controlled guided catheters, etc. However mating equipment and instruments of different manufacturers takes much time and causes difficulty of use.

ELKART EP LAB offers advanced diagnostic facilities with up to 64 intracardiac channel recording, 12-lead ECG, 2 stimulation channels and 2 invasive pressures plus fully integrated computerized cardiac stimulator and universal RF generator. The system's user-friendly interface allows you to control the whole system with the keyboard or mouse only. Two independently controlled monitors enable to analyze data and print out selected fragments of ECG and intracardiac electrogram while simultaneously monitoring and recording the real-time signal.

Today we continue our R&D to develop new devices for thoracoscopic ablation and solutions which could bring on quality of cardiac mapping and visualization means.

We are positive that teamwork of researchers, physicians and engineers makes a lot for advancement of interventional arrhythmology.

Head of Siberian Center of Cardiac Arrhythmias
Tomsk Research Institute of Cardiology
Prof. Sergey Popov, MD