A memory optimization method combined with adaptive time-step method for cardiac cell simulation based on multi-GPU

Cardiac electrophysiological simulation is a very complex computational process, which can be run on graphics processing unit (GPU) to save computational cost greatly. The use of adaptive time-step can further effectively speed up the simulation of heart cells. However, if the adaptive time-step method applies to GPU, it suffers synchronization problem on GPU, weakening the acceleration of adaptive time-step method. The previous work ran on a single GPU with the adaptive time-step to get only 1.5 times (× 1.5) faster than the fixed time-step. This study proposes a memory allocation method, which can effectively implement the adaptive time-step method on GPU. The proposed method mainly focuses on the stimulus point and potential memory arrangement in order to achieve optimal memory storage efficiency. All calculation is implemented on GPU. Large matrices such as potential are arranged in column order, and the cells on the left are stimulated. The Luo-Rudy passive (LR1) and dynamic (LRd) ventricular action potential models are used with adaptive time-step methods, such as the traditional hybrid method (THM) and Chen-Chen-Luo's (CCL) "quadratic adaptive algorithm" method. As LR1 is solved by the THM or CCL on a single GPU, the acceleration is × 34 and × 75 respectively compared with the fixed time-step. With 2 or 4 GPUs, the acceleration of the THM and CCL is × 34 or × 35 and × 73 or × 75, but it would decrease to × 5 or × 3 and × 20 or × 15 without optimization. In an LRd model, the acceleration reaches × 27 or × 85 as solved by the THM or CCL compared with the fixed time-step on multi-GPU with linear speed up increase versus the number of GPU. However, with the increase of GPUs number, the acceleration of the THM and CCL is continuously weakened before optimization. The mixed root mean square error (MRMSE) lower than 5% is applied to ensure the accuracy of simulation. The result shows that the proposed memory arrangement method can save computational cost a lot to speed up the heart simulation greatly. Graphical abstract Acceleration ratio compared with CPU with fixed time-step (dt = 0.001 ms).