Controlled movement and suppression of spiral waves in excitable media

Abstract

Here we propose mechanisms for controlling the movement and suppression of spiral waves in discrete excitable media. We show that the controlled drift and subsequent annihilation of a spiral wave can be achieved through the combination of two factors: the introduction of small spatial inhomogeneities in the medium and the interaction of the wave with the boundaries of the medium. The inhomogeneities can be introduced in the spatial distribution of the relaxation parameters or in the coupling coefficient of the slow variables of the partial cells making up the medium.