Electromagnetic modelling of current flow in the heart from TASER devices and the risk of cardiac dysrhythmias

Increasing use by law enforcement agencies of the M26 and X26 TASER electrical incapacitation devices has raised concerns about the arrhythmogenic potential of these weapons. Using a numerical phantom constructed from medical images of the human body in which the material properties of the tissues a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics in medicine & biology 2007-12, Vol.52 (24), p.7193-7209
Main Authors: Holden, S J, Sheridan, R D, Coffey, T J, Scaramuzza, R A, Diamantopoulos, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - physiopathology
Computer Simulation
Electric Conductivity
Electric Injuries - etiology
Electric Injuries - physiopathology
Electric Stimulation - adverse effects
Electric Stimulation - instrumentation
Electrocardiography
Electromagnetic Phenomena - methods
Electroshock
Finite Element Analysis
Guinea Pigs
Heart Conduction System
Heart Ventricles - injuries
Heart Ventricles - physiopathology
Humans
In Vitro Techniques
Law Enforcement
Models, Cardiovascular
Phantoms, Imaging
Weapons
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Summary:Increasing use by law enforcement agencies of the M26 and X26 TASER electrical incapacitation devices has raised concerns about the arrhythmogenic potential of these weapons. Using a numerical phantom constructed from medical images of the human body in which the material properties of the tissues are represented, computational electromagnetic modelling has been used to predict the currents arising at the heart following injection of M26 and X26 waveforms at the anterior surface of the chest (with one TASER 'barb' directly overlying the ventricles). The modelling indicated that the peak absolute current densities at the ventricles were 0.66 and 0.11 mA mm(-2) for the M26 and X26 waveforms, respectively. When applied during the vulnerable period to the ventricular epicardial surface of guinea-pig isolated hearts, the M26 and X26 waveforms induced ectopic beats, but only at current densities greater than 60-fold those predicted by the modelling. When applied to the ventricles in trains designed to mimic the discharge patterns of the TASER devices, neither waveform induced ventricular fibrillation at peak currents >70-fold (for the M26 waveform) and >240-fold (for the X26) higher than the modelled current densities. This study provides evidence for a lack of arrhythmogenic action of the M26 and X26 TASER devices.
ISSN:0031-9155
1361-6560
DOI:10.1088/0031-9155/52/24/001