Wavefront-obstacle interactions: a computational study

In this simulation study, the authors examined the interaction between wavefronts and sharp obstacle corners in cardia tissue. They elicited a single planar wave beneath an obstacle composed of either an insulator, Tyrode's solution, or passive tissue. They examined wavefront detachment from the obstacle for various degrees of excitability. To quantify the authors' observations, they developed a method for calculating safety factors in two dimensions. They found that the ability of the obstacle to act as a source or sink greatly influenced wavefront behavior at the obstacle corner. The high conductivity of the Tyrode's obstacle lead to significant reduction in the safety factor at its corner resulting in wavefront detachment at higher excitabilities than for the other two types of obstacles. The authors' examination of wavefront-obstacle interactions presented here has strong implications for the modeling of various types of myocardial damage as well as for the modeling of natural cardiac obstacles.