Numerical modeling and simulation based on finite element method for internal cardiac defibrillation in a human torso

Since the inability of clinical approaches to measure the shock-induced electric field distribution of internal cardiac defibrillation, current clinical applications of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) still stay largely empirical. In this study, a finite element modeling and simulation method for solving internal cardiac defibrillation field was proposed. Using this method, the defibrillation shock-induced potential field distribution was solved numerically in the torso of a patient implanted with a widely used transvenous ICD system. Moreover, the defibrillation energy threshold (DFT) for this patient was pre-surgically calculated using the critical mass hypothesis of cardiac defibrillation studies. The obtained results showed a high agreement between the predicted defibrillation thresholds with records observed in clinical. As a conclusion, the proposed method would be a feasible approach for using a further patient-specific optimization of ICD implantation, as part of preoperative planning.