SimICD: A Closed-Loop Simulation Framework For ICD Therapy

Abstract

Virtual studies of ICD behaviour are crucial for testing device functionality in a controlled environment prior to clinical application. Although previous works have shown the viability of using in silico testing for diagnosis, there is a notable gap in available models that can simulate therapy progression decisions during arrhythmic episodes. This work introduces SimICD, a simulation tool which combines virtual ICD logic algorithms with cardiac electrophysiology simulations in a feedback loop, allowing the progression of ICD therapy protocols to be simulated for a range of tachy-arrhythmia episodes. Using a cohort of virtual patients, we demonstrate the ability of SimICD to simulate realistic cardiac signals and ICD responses that align with the logic of real-world devices, facilitating the reprogramming of ICD parameters to adapt to specific episodes.