3D parallel computer simulations of cardiac electrical propagation with sub-cellular resolution

Computer modeling provides a tool to assess the contribution of sub-cellular structure and physiology to normal and pathological cardiac conduction. Previous simulations have been too computationally demanding to model macroscopic tissue sections while retaining the sub-cellular resolution of interest. A new method for numerical simulations of cardiac electrical activity was developed which allows larger and more complex models to be examined. Sub-cellular resolution and physiology is incorporated into the cable model of cardiac tissue, which assumes a network of passive resistances linking ionic and capacitive membrane elements. This method adapts the model for three dimensional (3D) simulations in high performance parallel or vector computing environments. The authors´ data demonstrates the numerical convergence of the technique, and validation with experiment and previous computer models