Um método baseado em otimização para construção da rede de Purkinje cardíaca

Abstract

This work presents an optimization-based method for the construction of the Purkinje cardiac network. It was inspired on the Constrained Constructive Optimization method, which generates arterial tree models. The proposed method iteratively constructs the Purkinje network by minimizing its total length. In addition, it can take into account some important topological information of the Purkinje network, such as the location of the Purkinje-muscle junctions and the average bifurcation angle found in the literature. In order to validate the models generated by the new method, comparisons were made with models generated by a method based on L-system and by a histological image-based technique. The results show that the proposed method is able to construct Purkinje networks with geometric features and activation times that are in good agreement with those reported in the literature and to those obtained by the other aforementioned alternatives.