Also found in: Medical.
an electrical method of recording low-frequency vibrations of the chest wall caused by heart contractions.
The technique of kinetocardiography is based on the conversion of mechanical vibrations into changes in a given electrical parameter of a sensor, which is placed on the thorax of the subject. The bands of recorded frequencies are within the range of 1–25 hertz. Usually, vibrations are recorded at two points on the thorax, corresponding to the projections of the left and right ventricles (2 cm left of the sternum) at the fifth rib, and right of the sternum at the site of attachment of the fourth and fifth ribs. The recorded curve consists of a series of teeth reflecting the various phases of the cardiac cycle: atrial systole, synchronous and isometric ventricular contractions, rapid and retarded ventricular expulsion of the blood, and rapid and retarded ventricular filling. Kinetocardiography makes it possible to detect the changes in cardiac activity accompanying certain diseases and to evaluate the efficacy of treatment.