Lifex-ep: a robust and efficient software for cardiac electrophysiology simulations

Abstract

BackgroundSimulating the cardiac function requires the numerical solution of multi-physics and multi-scale mathematical models. This underscores the need for streamlined, accurate, and high-performance computational tools. Despite the dedicated endeavors of various research teams, comprehensive and user-friendly software programs for cardiac simulations, capable of accurately replicating both normal and pathological conditions, are still in the process of achieving full maturity within the scientific community.ResultsThis work introduces texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep, a publicly available software for numerical simulations of the electrophysiology activity of the cardiac muscle, under both normal and pathological conditions. texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep employs the monodomain equation to model the heart’s electrical activity. It incorporates both phenomenological and second-generation ionic models. These models are discretized using the Finite Element method on tetrahedral or hexahedral meshes. Additionally, texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep integrates the generation of myocardial fibers based on Laplace–Dirichlet Rule-Based Methods, previously released in Africa et al., 2023, within texttt {life}^{text{x}}-fiber. As an alternative, users can also choose to import myofibers from a file. This paper provides a concise overview of the mathematical models and numerical methods underlying texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep, along with comprehensive implementation details and instructions for users. texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep features exceptional parallel speedup, scaling efficiently when using up to thousands of cores, and its implementation has been verified against an established benchmark problem for computational electrophysiology. We showcase the key features of texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep through various idealized and realistic simulations conducted in both normal and pathological scenarios. Furthermore, the software offers a user-friendly and flexible interface, simplifying the setup of simulations using self-documenting parameter files.Conclusionstexttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep provides easy access to cardiac electrophysiology simulations for a wide user community. It offers a computational tool that integrates models and accurate methods for simulating cardiac electrophysiology within a high-performance framework, while maintaining a user-friendly interface. texttt {life}^{text{x}}-ep represents a valuable tool for conducting in silico patient-specific simulations.