Sector: electrical engineering

Type of hazard: electrical hazards

Catchwords: health impairments and disorders, physical factors, accident

Status: completed 01/1997

Financed by: Berufsgenossenschaft der Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik

Research institution(s): PALLAS Gesellschaft für Parallele Anwendungen und Systeme mbH

Description, key words:

Irregular heartbeats caused by electrical accidents

Aims:

Electrical accidents can lead to irregular heart beats and heart chamber fibrillation. Goal: acquiring knowledge of the electrical processes in the cell membrane of the heart muscle

Activities/methods:

Computer simulation of the electrical processes in the cell membrane of the heart muscle cell which is modelled as a 1-dimensional cable equation; drawing up a programme for the numerical simulation of the mathematical model, verification of the programme, visualisation of the results, extensive test calculations and parameter variations

Results:

Description of a complete numerical model of the cell chain with extensions for simulation of the intercalated disks; comparison of the calculated potential and current distribution for passive membranes with analytical solutions; action potentials will be calculated for a cell chain with 15 individual cells, external stimulation thresholds determined and the propagation rate relative to intercalated disk resistance established.

Publications:

Medizinisch-Technischer Bericht 1997. Best.-Nr.: IK1. Berufsgenossenschaft der Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik, Köln

last update: 22.08.2000