Apparatus for testing a cardiac catheter utilizing live cardiac cells

A medical tool testing system comprising:

• a vessel comprising:
• a scaffold formed from biomaterial;
• live cardiac tissue, generated from cardiac cells, proliferating on the scaffold, the live cardiac tissue configured to generate electrical activity;
• and
• a medical tool, in contact with live cardiac tissue, used for a medical procedure within patient anatomy,
• an electrical pulse generator configured to provide electrical pulses;
• at least one pacing electrode, electrically connected to the electric pulse generator and in contact with the live cardiac tissue, configured to deliver the electrical pulses to the live cardiac tissue as electrical pacing pulses;
• and
• a processor configured to provide attributes of a condition of the live cardiac tissue for display.

A method of testing a cardiac catheter under conditions replicating a beating heart, the method comprising:

• delivering, by a plurality of pacing electrodes in contact with live cardiac tissue in a vessel, electrical pacing pulses to the live cardiac tissue;
• generating, by the live cardiac tissue, a condition of the live cardiac tissue in response to the electrical pacing pulses;
• recording, by recording electrodes disposed on a cardiac catheter in contact with the live cardiac tissue, attributes of the condition of the live cardiac tissue;
• and
• providing the attributes of the condition of the live cardiac tissue as attribute information for display.