Above: A phase image recording of the co-culture utilizing a voltage sensitive dye to allow for characterization of signal propagation. To the right, is a generated activation map that draws the direction of signal propagation and the time it took for the signal to reach a given area.
Arrhythmia is characterized by an atypical heartbeat and is very threatening to the health of those who experience this condition. In an effort to better understand the dynamics of signal propagation in an arrhythmic heart, a co-culture of cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes was developed, and the properties were analyzed. Visualization of the differences induced from manipulating culture parameters will help to better understand and characterize the disease.