The application of a massively parallel computer to the simulation of electrical wave propagation phenomena in the heart muscle using simplified models

Abstract

The simulation of heart arrhythmia and fibrillation are very important and challenging tasks. The solution of these problems using sophisticated mathematical models is beyond the capabilities of modern supercomputers. To overcome these difficulties, it is proposed to break the whole simulation problem into two tightly coupled stages: generation of the action potential using sophisticated models, and propagation of the action potential using simplified models. The well-known simplified models are compared and modified to bring the rate of depolarization and action potential duration restitution closer to reality. The modified method of lines is used to parallelize the computational process. The conditions for the appearance of 2D spiral waves after the application of a premature beat and the subsequent traveling of the spiral wave inside the simulated tissue are studied. >