Computational Methods for Cardiac Electromechanics

Computational modeling provides a potentially powerful way to integrate structural properties measured in vitro to physiological functions measured in vivo. Focusing on the various scales (cell-tissue-organ-system), we give an overview of the importance and applications of numerical models of ventricular anatomy, electrophysiology, mechanics, and circulatory models. The integration of these models in one multiscale model of cardiac electromechanics is discussed in the light of applications to hypothesis generation, diagnosis, surgery(planning, training, and outcome of interventions), and therapies. Special attention is paid to practical use in terms of computational demand. Because of growing computer power and the development of efficient algorithms, we expect that real-time simulations with multiscale models of cardiac electromechanics become feasible in 2008 (despite the increasing complexity of models due to data accumulation on molecular and cellular mechanisms).