Predicting cardiothoracic voltages during high energy shocks: methodology and comparison of experimental to finite element model data

Finite element modeling has been used as a method to investigate the voltage distribution within the thorax during high energy shocks. However, there have been few quantitative methods developed to assess how well the calculations derived from the models correspond to measured voltages. Here, the authors present a methodology for recording thoracic voltages and the results of comparisons of these voltages to those predicted by finite element models. The authors constructed detailed 3D subject-specific thorax models of 6 pigs based on their individual CT images. The models were correlated with the results of experiments conducted on the animals to measure the voltage distribution in the thorax at 52 locations during synchronized high energy shocks. One transthoracic and two transvenous electrode configurations were used in the study. The measured voltage values were compared to the model predictions resulting in a correlation coefficient of 0.927±0.036 (average±standard deviation) and a relative rms error of 22.13±5.99%. The model predictions of voltage gradient within the myocardium were also examined revealing differences in the percent of the myocardium above a threshold value for various electrode configurations and variability between individual animals. This variability reinforces the potential benefit of patient-specific modeling.