Filament dynamics in a computational model of re-entrant fibrillation in anatomically detailed canine ventricular anatomy

The aim of this study was to quantify the dynamics and interaction of filaments in a computational model of re-entrant ventricular fibrillation. We simulated cardiac action potential propagation in an anisotropic monodomain where excitation was described by the Fenton-Karma model with Beeler-Reuter restitution, and geometry by the Auckland canine ventricle. We initiated re-entry in the left and right ventricular free walls, as well as the septum. The number of filaments increased during the first 1.5 s before reaching a plateau with a mean value of about 40. The rate of increase was fastest for initiation in the left ventricular free wall and slowest for initiation in the right ventricular free wall. This study shows that useful information about filament dynamics can be gleaned from models of fibrillation in complex geometries, and suggests that regional anatomical features have an influence on the breakdown of re-entry in the ventricles.