The electrophysiological functioning of the Heart

Repeated rhythmic contractions. Mechanical activity triggered by ordered electrical activation.

Electricity travels through walls. Atria.

Multi-scale process:

• Initiated by Pacemaker cells
• Cardiac myocyates experiance quick changes in transmembrane potential => Action potential
• Neighbouring cells detect this change by diffusion and mimic it.

Reaction-diffusion model

monodomain equations

$V=\phi_e - \phi_i$, where $\phi_e$ is the extracellular Electric potential, and $\phi_i$ is the intracellular one. We also homogenize the tissue (i.e. ignore the fine cellular detail of the Myocardium).

Numerical solution, with Finite element methods.