Eur. Phys. J. AP 10, 67-71 (2000)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2000120

Application of a cellular automata model to the study of magnetic detection of slow-pathway in cardiac tissue

Physics Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22453-900, Brazil

Corresponding author: beth@fis.puc-rio.br

Received: 10 June 1999
Revised: 15 November 1999
Accepted: 24 January 2000
Published online: 15 April 2000

Abstract

Forward solution studies have been performed using a cellular automata computer model. This computational procedure has been applied to simulate cardiac tissue activation and its corresponding magnetic field generated has been calculated. The propagation pattern associated with different mechanisms of atrial flutter arrhythmia has been simulated. For each simulated pattern of propagation, one has investigated the effect on the magnetic field generated, produced by the introduction of a conduction inhomogeneity due to a slow-pathway. This latter represents the site of successful ablation in the treatment of atrial flutter. The analysis of different computational images obtained allowed one to characterize the possibility of identification of regions of slow conduction in the simulated cardiac tissues.