Computer Simulation of Ventricular Arrhythmias

A three dimensional cellular automaton model is used for modeling the spread of activation and repolarization in the entire human heart. Spatial distribution of refractory periods and conduction velocities in different cardiac tissues, the anisotropy of conduction in the ventricle as well as the dependence of the effective refractory period on the diastolic interval is taken into account. The algorithm calculating the activation process is based on a modified version of Huygen's principle. Similar to programmed stimulation in patients with heart disease, the computer model can be used as a noninvasive tool to assess the inducibility of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Recently the inducibility of bundle branch reentrant tachycardia was tested for different ventricular stimulus sites.