IN
the field of high-performance computing (HPC) and advanced simulations,
Lawrence Livermore researchers have gained a worldwide reputation for success,
especially in calculations showing how matter responds to extreme pressures and
temperatures. Now, researchers have applied their expertise to a new type of
simulation that aims to realistically mimic a beating human heart. The results
could contribute to advancements in human health in much the same way that
Livermore’s computational work for stockpile stewardship helps ensure the
safety, security, and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons.
The
new simulations are made possible by a highly scalable code, called Cardioid,
that replicates the electrophysiology of the human heart. Developed by
Laboratory scientists working with colleagues at the IBM T. J. Watson Research
Center in New York, the code accurately simulates the activation of each heart
muscle cell and the cell-to-cell electric coupling.