Some aspects of computer modelling in cardiac electrophysiology

A computer model simulating the electrical activity of the heart is described. The model is designed for use in clinical cardiological research. Its implementation is based on the methods of discrete process simulation. The simulation program is written in FORTRAN, has approximately 12,000 lines and requires 160 kilobytes of memory to run. The whole heart is modelled, including a realistic description of the conduction system and a 'hollow shell' structure with a central plane representing the atrial, ventricular and septal components of the cardiac musculature. The myocardium itself is represented by simple hexagonal elements, which are pieced together to form the 'hollow shell'. The ideas used to develop the model are briefly described, but emphasis is given to clinical applications. The model is first validated by examining its output under well-known pathological conditions. Clinical applications, including predictive value, testing of hypotheses, and evaluation of pacemaker function, are then described, results being presented in the form of orthogonal lead projections.