Comparison between propagation in a numerical and in a real microscopic cardiac tissue

Today, computer models of the heart can simulate electrical propagation in complex and realistic anatomical structures. Nevertheless, the direct comparison of the results with real cardiac phenomena remains difficult. The objective of this work is to provide a validation of a numerical model of cardiac tissue using published results obtained in a real microscopic structure (neonatal rat cardiac cell cultures). The authors have therefore organized their virtual numerical tissue in order to allow a direct comparison with experimental results. The simulations were in good agreement with results from cell cultures, showing that the virtual tissue has a realistic behavior