Approximate solutions for certain bidomain problems in electrocardiography

The simulation of problems in electrocardiography using the bidomain model for cardiac tissue often creates issues with satisfaction of the boundary conditions required to obtain a solution. Recent studies have proposed approximate methods for solving such problems by satisfying the boundary conditions only approximately. This paper presents an analysis of their approximations using a similar method, but one which ensures that the boundary conditions are satisfied during the whole solution process. Also considered are additional functional forms, used in the approximate solutions, which are more appropriate to specific boundary conditions. The analysis shows that the approximations introduced by Patel and Roth Phys. Rev. E 72 051931 (2005) generally give accurate results. However, there are certain situations where functional forms based on the geometry of the problem under consideration can give improved approximations. It is also demonstrated that the recent methods are equivalent to different approaches to solving the same problems introduced 20 years earlier.