From a laboratory to the wearables: a review on history and evolution of electrocardiogram
Del laboratorio a la práctica: una revisión sobre la historia y evolución del electrocardiograma
Rony Vincent
Abstract
The development of electrocardiography, one of the top scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century, occurred in the field of cardiology. The history of the ECG began long before its invention, with the advent of the study of electricity in the medical field. The idea of electrophysiology and Waller's initial recording of the ‘electrogram’ encouraged Willem Einthoven to develop new string galvanometers and turn this remarkable physiologic occurrence into a vital clinical recording tool. It has progressed from Einthoven's innovation to wearable technology. In the first part of the 20th century, a number of inventive people achieved a remarkable succession of discoveries and advancements that led to the development of the 12-lead ECG as we know it today. It went further than that. The evolution of science and technology over the years has allowed for continual development in terms of usefulness, ranging from five operators to one operator meant to record the ECG trace, and mobility, ranging from around 300 Kg to roughly around 1 Kg. Electrocardiographs in minimized form now exist thanks to the modern era of digitalization. We will go over the significant processes in the development of the ECG in this article.
Keywords
Resumen
El desarrollo de la electrocardiografía, uno de los principales avances científicos del siglo XX, se produjo en el campo de la cardiología. La historia del ECG comenzó mucho antes de su invención, con el advenimiento del estudio de la electricidad en el campo médico. La idea de la electrofisiología y el registro inicial del "electrograma" de Waller animó a Willem Einthoven a desarrollar nuevos galvanómetros de hilo y convertir este acontecimiento fisiológico notable en una herramienta de registro clínico vital. Ha progresado desde la innovación de Einthoven hasta la tecnología portátil. En la primera parte del siglo XX, varias personas ingeniosas lograron una notable sucesión de descubrimientos y avances que condujeron al desarrollo del ECG de 12 derivaciones tal como lo conocemos hoy. Fue más allá que eso. La evolución de la ciencia y la tecnología a lo largo de los años ha permitido un desarrollo continuo en términos de utilidad, que va desde cinco operadores a un operador destinado a registrar el trazo de ECG, y la movilidad, que va desde alrededor de 300 kg hasta aproximadamente 1 kg. Los electrocardiógrafos en forma minimizada ahora existen gracias a la era moderna de la digitalización. Repasaremos los procesos significativos en el desarrollo del ECG en este artículo.
Palabras clave
References
1. Bancroft E. An essay on the natural history of Guiana, in South America. London: T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt; 1769. Available from: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/57094#page/59/mode/1up.mode/1up.
2. Piccolino M, Bresadola M. Drawing a spark from darkness: John Walsh and electric fish. Endeavour. 2002;26(1):19-26. doi: 10.1016/s0160-9327(00)01403-4.
3. Driscol TE, Ratnoff OD, Nygaard OF. The remarkable Dr. Abildgaard and countershock. The bicentennial of his electrical experiments on animals. Ann Intern Med. 1975;83(6):878-82. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-83-6-878.
4. Knoefel PK. Felice Fontana Life and Works. Trento: Società di Studi Trentini di Scienze Storiche; 1984. Available from:
https://www.studitrentini.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/KNOEFEL_P_K_FONTANA_LIFE_WORKS_r.pdf.
5. Burch GE, De Pasquale NP. A history of electrocardiography. San Francisco: Norman; 1990.
6. Rivera-Ruiz M, Cajavilca C, Varon J. Einthoven's string galvanometer: the first electrocardiograph. Tex Heart Inst J. 2008;35(2):174-8.
7. Matteucci C, Savi P. Traité des phénomènes électro-physiologiques des animaux. Paris: Fortin, Masson; 1844.
8. Burnett J. The origins of the electrocardiograph as a clinical instrument. Med Hist Suppl. 1985;(5):53-76. doi: 10.1017/s0025727300070514.
9. Acierno LJ. Augustus Desiré Waller. Clin Cardiol. 2000;23(4):307-9. doi: 10.1002/clc.4960230420.
10. Wellcome Collection. Portrait of A. D. Waller. Available from: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/r5pa7v6z (accessed June 2022).
11. Fye WB. A history of the origin, evolution, and impact of electrocardiography. Am J Cardiol. 1994;73(13):937-49. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(94)90135-x.
12. Wikipedia Contributors. Willem Einthoven Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Einthoven (accessed June 2022).
13. Henson JR. Descartes and the ECG lettering series. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 1971;26(2):181-6. doi: 10.1093/jhmas/xxvi.2.181.
14. Einthoven W. Un nouveau galvanometre. Archives Neerlandaises des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles. 1901;6:625-33.
15. Einthoven, W. Die galvanometrische Registrirung des menschlichen Elektrokardiogramms, zugleich eine Beurtheilung der Anwendung des Capillar-Elektrometers in der Physiologie. Pfläger, Arch. 1903;99:472–80. doi: 10.1007/BF01811855
16. Wikimedia. William Einthoven with His String Galvanometer. Available from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Willem_Einthoven_ECG.jpg (accessed June 2022).
17. Hjelm NM, Julius HW. Centenary of tele-electrocardiography and telephonocardiography. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11(7):336-8. doi: 10.1258/135763305774472088.
18. Sykes AH. A D Waller and the electrocardiogram, 1887. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1987;294(6584):1396-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.294.6584.1396.
19. Einthoven, W. Weiteres über das Elektrokardiogramm. Pflüger, Arch. 1908;122: 517–84. doi: 10.1007/BF01677829.
20. Snellen HA. Selected Papers on Electrocardiography of Willem Einthoven. The Hague: Springer Dordrecht; 1977.
21. Einthoven W. The Different Forms of the Human Electrocardiogram and Their Signification. Lancet. 1912;179:853-61. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(00)50560-1
22. Barold SS. Willem Einthoven and the birth of clinical electrocardiography a hundred years ago. Card Electrophysiol Rev. 2003;7(1):99-104. doi: 10.1023/a:1023667812925.
23. Lewis T. REPORT CXIX. AURICULAR FIBRILLATION: A COMMON CLINICAL CONDITION. Br Med J. 1909;2(2552):1528. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.2552.1528.
24. Lewis T. The Mechanism and Graphic Registration of the Heart Beat. JAMA. 1925;85(23):1832. Available from: doi: 10.1001/jama.1925.02670230064033.
25. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Taro Takemi. Takemi Program in International Health. 2012. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/takemi/about-the-program/dr-taro-takemi/ (accessed June 2022).
26. Wikipedia. Norman Holter. Available from: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Holter(accessed June 2022).
27. Roberts WC, Silver MA. Norman Jefferis Holter and ambulatory ECG monitoring. Am J Cardiol. 1983;52(7):903-6. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(83)90439-3.
28. Yang XL, Liu GZ, Tong YH, Yan H, Xu Z, Chen Q, et al. The history, hotspots, and trends of electrocardiogram. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2015;12(4):448-56. doi: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2015.04.018.
29. Barold SS. Norman J. "Jeff" Holter-"Father" of ambulatory ECG monitoring. J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2005;14(2):117-8. doi: 10.1007/s10840-005-4787-8.
30. Baule G, McFee R. DETECTION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE HEART. Am Heart J. 1963;66:95-6. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(63)90075-9.
31. Baldassarre A, Mucci N, Padovan M, Pellitteri A, Viscera S, Lecca LI, et al. The Role of Electrocardiography in Occupational Medicine, from
Einthoven's Invention to the Digital Era of Wearable Devices. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(14):4975. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17144975.
32. Shapiro E. The first textbook of electrocardiography. Thomas Lewis: Clinical Electrocardiography. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983;1(4):1160-1. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(83)80120-x.
33. AlGhatrif M, Lindsay J. A brief review: history to understand fundamentals of electrocardiography. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2012;2(1). doi: 10.3402/jchimp.v2i1.14383.
34. Burch GE. History of precordial leads in electrocardiography. Eur J Cardiol. 1978;8(2):207-36.
35. RECOMMENDATIONS for standardization of electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic leads. Circulation. 1954;10(4):564-73. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.10.4.564.
36. Goldberger E. A simple, indifferent, Electrocardiographic Electrode of Zero Potential and a Technique of Obtaining augmented, unipolar, Extremity Leads. Am Heart J. 1942;23(4):483-92. doi: 10.1016/s0002-8703(42)90293-x
Submitted date:
08/05/2022
Reviewed date:
09/02/2022
Accepted date:
09/06/2022
Publication date:
09/06/2022
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
LinkedIn
Mendeley
StumbleUpon
CiteULike
Reddit
Email