Magnetic Signature of Thermo-Electric Cardiac Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a thermo-electric model of cardiac tissue that predicts magnetic fields associated with heart activity, aiding in non-invasive diagnosis of arrhythmias.

Contribution

It presents a novel theoretical framework incorporating thermo-electric coupling to simulate cardiac magnetic fields at the tissue level.

Findings

Periodic stimulations produce magnetic signals reflecting cardiac dynamics.

Magnetic restitution curves help distinguish cardiac instabilities.

The model supports development of non-invasive diagnostic tools.

Abstract

Developing new methods for predicting electromagnetic instabilities in cardiac activity is of primary importance. However, we still need a comprehensive view of the heart's magnetic activity at the tissue scale. To fill this gap, we present a model of soft active matter, including thermo-electric coupling, suitably modified to reproduce cardiac magnetic field. Our theoretical framework shows that periodic stimulations of cardiac cells create an external magnetic field evidencing restitution features of nonlinear cardiac dynamics and magnetic restitution curves better discriminate instabilities and bifurcations in cardiac activity. This new framework lays the foundation for innovative, non-invasive diagnostic tools for cardiac arrhythmias.