Modeling of the Human Heart-Ventricular Activation Sequence and ECG Measurement

Abstract

In this chapter, a detailed heart and torso model of electrical field is presented. Heart model geometry includes seven different regions. The monodomain model of the modified FitzHugh-Nagumo model of the cardiac cell is used. Six electrodes are positioned at the chest to model the precordial leads and the results are compared with real clinical measurements. The inverse ECG method is used to optimize the potential on the heart’s surface. Whole heart electrical activity in the torso-embedded environment, with a spontaneous initiation of activation in the sinoatrial node, incorporating a specialized conduction system with heterogeneous action potential morphologies throughout the heart, is presented. Body surface potential maps in a healthy subject during the progression of ventricular activation in nine sequences are included. The electro model coupled with the mechanical model using the linear elastic and orthotropic material model based on Holzapfel experiments are also presented. Future research will go more deeply into silico clinical trials where we will compare some clinical pathology and findings on the body surface with standard 12 ECG electrode measurements.