Dynamical behavior analysis of the heart system by the bifurcation structures

Area of Science:

• Computational Biology
• Biophysics
• Cardiovascular Systems

Background:

• Heart rhythm disorders, or cardiac arrhythmias, involve disruptions in the natural heart rhythm originating from nodes like the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes.
• The cardiac system comprises interconnected nodes (sinus, atrioventricular, Purkinje bundles) that function as self-oscillating elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic behavior of the cardiac conduction system under external stimuli, simulating pacemaker activity.
• To analyze normal and pathological heart rhythms using nonlinear dynamics and microcontroller simulations.

Main Methods:

• Modeling the cardiac conduction system as three coupled nonlinear oscillators with delayed connections.
• Applying nonlinear analysis tools and maximum Lyapunov exponents to study dynamic behaviors.
• Simulating the cardiac conduction system using a network of four ATmega 328P microcontrollers.

Main Results:

• Identification of normal and pathological heart rhythms, including ventricular fibrillation, flutter, tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation.
• Validation of numerical results through nonlinear analysis and Lyapunov exponents.
• Observed similarity between numerical simulations and microcontroller-based modeling.

Conclusions:

• Nonlinear oscillator models effectively capture the complex dynamics of cardiac rhythm and arrhythmias.
• Microcontroller simulations provide a viable approach for studying cardiac conduction system behavior.
• The study enhances understanding of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms.