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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
09:09
In Silico Clinical Trials for Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: May 27, 2022
A solution method for the determination of cardiac potential distributions with an alternating current source
Barbara M Johnston1, Peter R Johnston, David Kilpatrick
1School of Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia.
Summary
This study extends a bidomain model to use alternating current (AC) for measuring cardiac conductivity. Including cardiac fibre rotation in AC models is crucial for accurate electrical potential measurements with complex electrode arrays.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Computational Biology
- Cardiovascular Science
Background:
- The bidomain model is essential for studying cardiac electrical activity.
- Previous methods used direct current (DC) for electrical potential measurements in cardiac tissue.
- Accurate conductivity measurements are vital for understanding cardiac electrophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend a direct current (DC) bidomain model solution to incorporate alternating current (AC).
- To investigate the impact of cardiac fibre rotation on electrical potential measurements using AC.
- To develop a more efficient computational method for calculating potentials at specific electrode locations.
Main Methods:
- Adapted a DC bidomain model solution to utilize AC.
- Incorporated fibre rotation effects between the epicardium and endocardium.
- Employed Fourier series and a 1D finite difference scheme for potential calculations.
Main Results:
- The AC model successfully calculated electrical potentials, including intracellular capacitance.
- Potential measurements were shown to be significantly affected by changes in fibre rotation.
- The model demonstrated that AC current can be fractionally redirected into the intracellular space by increasing frequency.
Conclusions:
- The developed AC bidomain model provides a more nuanced approach to cardiac conductivity measurement.
- Accounting for cardiac fibre rotation is essential when using complex electrode arrays for potential measurements.
- This method offers computational advantages by calculating potentials only at required points.
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