Electromechanical human heart modeling for predicting endocardial heart motion

Abstract: This work presents a biventricular electromechanical human heart model that is comprehensive and clinically relevant, integrating a realistic 3D heart geometry with both systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics. The model uses a two-way fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) formulation with actual 3D blood meshes to accurately investigate the effect of blood flow on the myocardium. It couples a reaction-diffusion framework and a voltage-dependent active stress term to replicate the link between electrical excitation and mechanical contraction. Additionally, the model incorporates innovative epicardial boundary conditions to mimic the stiffness and viscosity of neighboring tissues. The model's ability to replicate physiological heart motion was validated against Cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, which demonstrated a high degree of consistency in regional displacement patterns. The analysis of the right ventricle showed that the basal and mid free walls experience the largest motion, making these regions ideal for implanting motion-driven energy harvesting devices. This validated model is a robust tool for enhancing our understanding of cardiac physiology and optimizing therapeutic interventions before clinical implementation.