Toward real-time simulation of cardiac dynamics

Abstract

We show that through careful and model-specific optimizations of their GPU implementations, simulations of realistic, detailed cardiac-cell models now can be performed in 2D and 3D in times that are close to real time using a desktop computer. Previously, large-scale simulations of detailed mathematical models of cardiac cells were possible only using supercomputers. In our study, we consider five different models of cardiac electrophysiology that span a broad range of computational complexity: the two-variable Karma model, the four-variable Bueno-Orovio-Cherry-Fenton (BCF) model, the eight-variable Beeler-Reuter (BR) model, the 19-variable Ten Tusscher-Panfilov (TP) model, and the 67-variable Iyer-Mazhari-Winslow(IMW) model. For each of these models, we treat both their single-and double-precision versions and demonstrate linear or even sub-linear growth in simulation times with an increase in the size of the grid used to model cardiac tissue. We also show that our GPU implementations of these models can increase simulation speeds to near real-time for simulations of complex spatial patterns indicative of cardiac arrhythmic disorders, including spiral waves and spiral wave breakup. The achievement of real-time applications without the need for supercomputers may facilitate the adoption of modeling-based clinical diagnostics and treatment planning, including patient-specific electrophysiological studies, in the near future.

Towards an interactive electromechanical model of the heart

“…Moreover, Bartocci et al [25] established the computational cost of the double precision: it has been estimated to be twice more computationally demanding than the single float precision.…”

Towards Real-Time Computation of Cardiac Electrophysiology for Training Simulator

“…Only single float precision has been considered since it is sufficient regarding the electrophysiology accuracy. Moreover simulations using single float precision are about two times faster than simulations using double precision as detailed in [3].…”

FPGA in-the-loop simulations of cardiac excitation model under voltage clamp conditions

“…This technique has contributed to the understanding of the electrical behavior of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the ionic currents [2,3,4]. Here, the I-V characteristic presents the characterization of each ion channel by a relation between membrane voltage, Vm and resulting channel current.…”

“…Due to a tedious and an expensive procedure of the voltage clamp experiment, a simulation approach of the voltage clamp is more preferred as it is easier and cost effective. However, simulating the dynamics of cellular models requires a significant amount of computational processing time which would increase a time required for computer simulation of the models [2]. In addition, the voltage clamp method needs to be developed by real-time system because it requires the real-time evaluation and injection of simulated membrane current.…”