STM Article Repository

A spiral wave, which is a self-sustaining wave, is believed to be the source of certain types of arrhythmias, which can lead to fibrillation. In this paper, we study a generic model for the propagation of electrical impulses in cardiac tissue based on the Fitzhugh-Nagumo (FHN) equations. By numerical simulations we consider the evolution of spiral waves and their interaction with obstacles, such as ischemic or dead tissue from a heart attack or surgery. We describe three possible outcomes (attachment, bouncing and break up) when a spiral wave in the trochoidal regime interacts with an obstacle. The results can be useful to understand the dynamics of the interaction between drifting spiral waves and obstacles and to observe that obstacles might act as a switch from a less to a more dangerous arrhythmic regime.