A framework for the pre-clinical validation of LBM-EP for the planning and guidance of ventricular tachycardia ablation

This manuscript presents a framework for the pre-clinical validation of LBM-EP, a fast cardiac electrophysiology model based on the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM). The overarching goal is to assess whether the model is able to predict ventricular tachycardia (VT) induction given lead location and stimulation protocol. First, the randomwalk algorithm is used to interactively segment the heart ventricles from delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance images (DE-MRI). Scar and border zone are visually delineated using image thresholding. Then, a detailed anatomical model is generated, comprising fiber architecture and spatial distribution of action potential duration. That information is rasterized to a Cartesian grid, and the cardiac potentials are computed. The framework is illustrated on one swine data, for which two different pacing protocols at four different sites were tested. Each of the protocols were then virtually tested by computing seven seconds of heart beat. Model predictions in terms of VT induction were compared with what was observed in the animal. Our parallel implementation on graphics processing units required a total computation time of about two minutes at an isotropic grid resolution of 0.8 mm (21s at a resolution of 1.5 mm), thus enabling interactive VT testing.