SKM 2021 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 10: Focus session: Nonlinear Dynamics of the Heart I (organized by Markus Bär, Stefan Luther and Ulrich Parlitz)

DY 10.4: Invited Talk

Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 16:00–16:30, H6

Chaos and nonlinear dynamics in the heart: Experiments and simulations of arrhythmias and defibrillation — •Flavio fenton — School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

In this talk we present experimental examples of chaotic dynamics including unstable periodic orbits (period 3 and higher orders) in the heart. As a nonlinear system we further demonstrate a universal mechanism for terminating spiral waves in generic excitable media using an established topological framework. Under this mechanism it is possible to explain when defibrillation shocks, by high- or low-energy methods, succeed or fail. Furthermore, it is also possible to design a single minimal stimulus capable to defibrillate, at any time, any turbulent state driven by multiple spiral waves. We demonstrate this in a variety of cardiac tissue models. The theory described here shows how this mechanism underlies all successful defibrillation and can be used to further develop existing and future low-energy defibrillation strategies.