
Modeling hiPSC-CM Electrophysiology on Multi-Electrode Arrays: A Coupled Bidomain and Electrode Approach
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In this work, we introduce a new mathematical model tailored for the analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) cultures using a multi-electrode array (MEA) device. The MEA system, specifically the 60-6 well MEA platform, enables non- invasive recording of extracellular potentials, offering a high-resolution spatiotemporal assess- ment of hiPSC-CM electrical activity. However, to interpret these recordings and account for the complex electrode-tissue interactions, a comprehensive model combining the bidomain equations with a physical description of the electrodes is required. Our model integrates a single-cell ionic description at the temporal level with a bidomain representation of the tissue, coupling these components through the transmembrane potential and extracellular current flow. The coupling introduces a source term that captures the electrode behavior and resolves the potential distribution within the MEA setup. Standard numerical tech- niques, including a semi-implicit time discretization and finite element spatial discretization, are employed to solve the coupled system effectively. This approach provides accurate simulations of the electrophysiological response in heterogeneous tissue, highlighting the importance of ad- dressing both the cellular and tissue-level dynamics in MEA-based studies.