title: An operator splitting method for solving the bidomain equations coupled to a volume conductor model for the torso.
abstract: In this paper we present a numerical method for the bidomain model, which describes the electrical activity in the heart. The model consists of two partial differential equations (PDEs), which are coupled to systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) describing electrochemical reactions in the cardiac cells. Many applications require coupling these equations to a third PDE, describing the electrical fields in the torso surrounding the heart. The resulting system is challenging to solve numerically, because of its complexity and very strict resolution requirements in time and space. We propose a method based on operator splitting and a fully coupled discretization of the three PDEs. Numerical experiments show that for simple simulation cases and fine discretizations, the algorithm is second-order accurate in space and time.
authors.affiliation: Simula Research Laboratory and University of Oslo, P.O. Box 134, NO-1325 Lysaker, Norway. sundnes@simula.no
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundnes
authors.forename: Glenn Terje
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lines
authors.forename: Aslak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tveito
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D025802:Electric Capacitance; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology