Real-time GPU-accelerated coupled cardiac system: Integrating bidirectional interactions between living optogenetic...

Area of Science:

• Cardiac Electrophysiology
• Computational Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Reentrant arrhythmias pose significant risks and are challenging to study due to complex dynamics.
• Existing experimental methods offer limited control over reentrant circuit behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a real-time coupled cardiac system for dynamic manipulation of reentrant pathways in vitro.
• To enable physiologically relevant simulations for studying cardiac arrhythmias.

Main Methods:

• A closed-feedback loop system coupling a cardiac monolayer with a 2D computational simulation.
• Real-time wave propagation prediction using GPU-accelerated models and Abubu.js.
• Optical mapping for activation patterns and optogenetic stimulation via LEDs and microcontrollers.

Main Results:

• The platform accurately detects and responds to electrical waves in real-time.
• Interactive modulation of reentrant circuits is achieved, replacing traditional stimulation protocols.
• Computationally guided interventions better mimic physiological conduction dynamics.

Conclusions:

• This coupled system offers a novel, responsive method for studying reentrant arrhythmias.
• It enables user-defined reentry pathways and dynamic interaction with circuit behavior.
• The accessible framework facilitates research in cardiac electrophysiology and anti-arrhythmic strategies.