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Modeling and Simulation of Nonlinear Dynamics of Periodic Cardiac Pacemaker

using Bond Graph Techniques

Conference Paper · August 2017

DOI: 10.1109/ICETSS.2017.8324182

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Muhammad Usman Gul Bilal Masood

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 Modeling & Simulation of Nonlinear Dynamics of
Periodic Cardiac Pacemaker Using Bond Graph
Techniques
Muhammad Usman Gul Bilal Masood
Department of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering
The University of Lahore Superior University
Lahore, Pakistan 54770 Lahore, Pakistan
Email: usman.gull@tech.uol.edu.pk Email: bilal.masood@superior.edu.pk
Abstract—A lot of research has been done targeting differ-
ential equations and state space of cardiac pacemakers while
very few authors have discussed the circuit of the van der Pol
oscillator. This paper aims at developing the van der Pol oscillator
using RLC circuits with non-linear resistance. This was done by
representing the modified forced van der pol oscillator with non-
linear resistance using piecewise S curve obtained through an
operational amplifier. The state space has been obtained, using
20-Sim software, followed by its differential equation. The phase
portrait of the modified forced van der Pol oscillator has also been
developed. In this paper, the behavior of real cardiac pacemaker
has been reproduced in time domain and a comparison of the
real and the reproduced cardiac pacemaker has been made.
Keywords—Action Potential, Cardiac pacemaker, Bond Graph,
Forced van der oscillator.
I. I NTRODUCTION
Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) is one of the
major health problems in the world today. The National Health
Services (NHS) UK reports that more than one million SADS
cases are registered in England every year [1]. Abnormality in
normal cardiac rhythm is known as arrhythmia. A heart rate
below the normal (60 beats per minute for adult) is called
Bradycardia and a heart rate more than normal (100 beats
per minute for adult) is called Tachycardia [2]. Transform-
ing biological signals into mathematical models is extremely
challenging and is a relatively new and upcoming research
work. This gives better comprehension of the fundamental
natural process which brings about various biological signals in
human body like Electromyogram (EMG), Electroencephalo-
gram (EEG) and Electrocardiogram (ECG)[3]. These biolog-
ical signals are generally utilized, for a quite long while by
the clinicians to analyze sporadic conduct of human body.
Consequently, regeneration of such signals through numerical
demonstrating from a system theoretic point of view may lead
us to the foundation of the muddled physiological techniques,
which has the responsibility of generating these signals, to
identify solid and undesirable conduct of human organs. Few
arrangements of nonlinear differential condition govern the
essential guideline behind the generation of any complicated
organic waveform. A couple of numerical technique have been
Hisham Khalil
and Waseem Nazar
Department of Technology
The University of Lahore
Lahore, Pakistan 54770
Email: Hisham.hamidi@gmail.com
waseem.nazar@es.uol.edu.pk
proposed to scientifically demonstrate the said wave shape
and the AC (action potentials), created in various segments of
human heart [4]. There are different literatures and controversy
are addressed on human heart, whether it behave as periodic
oscillator, for instance by Babloyantz [5], Recorded of real
ECG signal, it is doubtful that there may be significantly
morphological distinction in continuous heartbeats (because
of some disturbance or some outside stochastic unsettling
influences) which creates confusion as arbitrary meandering
of the states in the stage space [5]. In any case, there is
undoubtedly human physiological system display some sort of
multifaceted rare waveforms like other distinctive cardiologic
signs, e.g. breath, ECG, blood pressure, HRV (heart rate vari-
ability), blood stream and so on [6], [7], [8], which persuades
demonstrating of such system utilizing proportionate coupled
oscillators. A coupled oscillator model has been created for
humans cardiovascular system in Stefanovska et al. [7],[8]
which represents characteristics frequencies corresponding to
each of physiological oscillations. Zbilut et al. [9] proposed
three normal differential condition based model to speak to
variety in the inter-beat period, in spite of the fact that the
acquired signal is not like the P-QRS-T complex of an ECG
signal.
The van der Pol oscillator can be used as an approximation
of real cardiac pacemaker due to the following important
characteristics:
• Its ability to adjust its frequency to the exter-
nal driving-signal frequency while maintaining its
amplitude.
• There exists a link between the action potential
and the van der Pol oscillator and the relationship
between the van der Pol oscillator and heartbeat
is well established, as proposed by FitzHugh
[10]. He described the action potential by further
simplification of the equation given by Hodgkin-
Huxley [11].
The Standard form of classical van der Pol oscillation, a
second order nonlinear differential equation is:
 d2 x 2

dx 2
2 + α x − 1 dt + ωo x = 0 (1)
dt
Whereas parameter of α is damping factor which have
function to approach the required response and ω o is the
systems natural frequency also known as intrinsic frequency.
The aim of this paper is to review nonlinear dynamics of
cardiac pacemaker and layout of this paper is: the current
section presents an introduction of the paper. In the second
section functions of Action Potential are given. The third
section presents Bond Graphs of modified forced van der Pol
oscillator. In the fourth section results and graphs of modified
forced van der Pol oscillator are presented. The last section
concludes the paper.
II. ACTION P OTENTIAL
Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is known as the primary
reason of sudden cardiac death because blood is not pumped
from the heart. One of the major challenges for cardiac
electrophysiology is the translation of the signals of cellular
level into arrhythmic behavior.
In general terms, when the excitation of the cell mem-
brane exceeds a specific high threshold point and activates
ion channels, generation of action potential (AC) takes place
[12] as depicted in Fig.1. The activation of ion channels that
results from this excitation allows the flow of currents in and
out of the cell resulting in a change in its potential. After
being discharged, the potential of the cell membrane returns
to its initial or resting state waiting for the next excitation.
After action potential generated, the membrane cell enter into
refractive phase (RP) during which it is unaffected by external
excitations. The duration of this phase is called the refractive
time[13],[14]. During a high frequency excitation the refractive
time may be an indication of ventricular fibrillation in the heart
[15].
An increase in the activity of sympathetic and parasympa-
thetic nervous systems can be among several reasons which
can trigger the three mechanisms shown in Fig.2. If the
conducting system is physically damaged, it can also trigger
these mechanisms [19]. Two important quantities, namely, time
of spontaneous depolarization (TSD) and the refraction time
(RT). A model should be constructed in a way that it allows
changes to be made to the values of these variables separately
and provides the possibility of changing the model frequency.
The classical van der Pol oscillator, however, does not meet
Fig. 1. Action potential of the cardiac conducting system
Fig. 2. Three components of changing the frequency of Action Potential, (a)
change of TP, (b) - change of TSD, (c) - change of RP.
these requirements. Fig.3 presents (1) in time domain with
different values of α. As a result, modification forced van der
Pol oscillator is needed.
III. B OND G RAPH OF M ODIFIED F ORCED VAN D ER P OL
O SCILLATOR
In 1927, Balthazar van der Pol introduced his equation in
order to describe triode (semiconductor devices) oscillations
in electrical circuits. The RLC circuits shown in Fig.4. The
nonlinear negative resistance, which obeys symmetric charac-
teristics in negative region and forms as S-curve, is redesigned
using equivalent piece wise linear method to generate S-curve
with operational amplifier. Its figure shown in Fig.5. The piece
wise linear curve is achieved by common operational amplifier
by taking value of both R1 & R3 as 3.6kΩ and the value of
R2 equal to 400kΩ . Fig.6 shows the combined van der pol &
piece wise circuits.
For modeling above circuits in bond graph techniques,
initially, bond graph of a model of an equivalent operational
amplifier is made. There are two methods for making bond
graphs of equivalent operational amplifier [16]:
• Using modulated Source.
• Using modulated Transformer.
The feedback resistance is much smaller than the input re-
sistance of op-amp and much larger than the output resistance
of op-amp. So these resistances are dropped and the simplified
bond graphs of op-amp using modulated source and modulated
transformer are shown in Fig.7 and Fig.8 respectively. The
complete bond graph of van der pol oscillation using modu-
lated trnsformer of effort are shown in Fig.9
After re-arrangement & simplification of model equation
obtained from 20-sim software, the state space of modified
forced van der Pol oscillator is gives as:
      
q˙5 0 1 q5 0
= 2 + [F cos (Ωt)]
p˙7 −ωo µ − α(q5 ) p7 1
(2)
In terms of differential equation, it can written as (3)
d2 x 2 2 dx


2 + ωo x − µ − αx dt
= F cos(Ωt) (3)
dt
 Fig. 4. RLC Circuit of Van der pol Oscillator

Fig. 5. Circuit of piece wise S-curve

Fig. 6. Complete VdPO Circuit - Combination of van der pol & piece wise
circuits

Fig. 3. VdPO Eq (1) represented in time domain, Value of α for three graphs Fig. 7. Op amp bond graph using modulating Source (Taken from [16])
are, 0.1 for upper, 5.0 for middle and 10.0 for lower panel
Fig. 8. Op amp bond graph using modulating Transformer (Taken from [16])
Fig. 9. Combined Op amp bond graph using modulating transformer
Where the parameter F represents the amount of external
force applied into the system. α and µ are the tuning damp-
ing coefficients which coordinate the outcomes with the real
behavior, ω o and Ω are the intrinsic and extrinsic frequencies
respectively.
Before tuning all parameter together it is important to
understand each parameter individually.
A. Effect of Intrinsic & extrinsic parameters
With the exception of Ω (extrinsic frequency) remaining
all other parameters should be constant. If Ω is equal to zero,
the system result is similar to a sinusoidal waveform. If Ω is
greater than unity the system changes its modulation index and
a value of Ω less than unity distorts the system’s output wave-
form as shown in Fig.10. A value of Ω much greater the unity
results in a smooth output waveform. Variation in extrinsic
frequency Ω just controls amplitude and output frequency are
unable to control through such parameter. Whereas, changing
the output frequency, the intrinsic frequency (ω 0 ) should be
changed.
B. Effect of tuning parameters, α & µ
The parameter α directly influences on the amplitude of
the output wave. The relationship between α and amplitude
are inversely proportional. The amplitude of the system should
be decreasing as increasing of α. However, system goes to be
unstable as α setting to be zero.
Whereas the parameter µ is one of the most important pa-
rameter because its effect not only on amplitude and frequency
but also effected on the shape of the output as shown in Fig.11.
The system should be undamped and pure sinusoidal response
Fig. 10. Changing modulation index due to extrinsic frequency. Setting all
parameters equal to 1 except, Ω =0.1
Fig. 11. Response on different values of µ; As increasing such parameter
the system amplitude should be increased but output frequency are decreased
with deformation of output shape
if and only if such crucial parameter set to be zero. The
relationship of µ is directly proportional to the amplitude and
inversely proportional to the output frequency. As increasing
µ it will deform the output shape.
In model, µ plays a significant role. Selecting the value of
µ to coincide with actual behaviour is influenced by values of
α & Ω. An adjustment can be made in values of α & Ω to
correspond the results and shape of pulse can be improved
C. Combining all parameters
The phase portrait of the van der pol oscillator which is also
known as self-excited or limit cycle periodic function oscillator
is shown in Fig.12, with both α and µ equal to 1.4, three
different values of ω o equal to π/7.17, π/7.0, π/6.86, F equal
to 1.5 and the value of Ω set to 30.
Fig.12 show the phase portrait of the (3) with variations
in the values of the parameter ω o , which controls the system
frequency.
Finally the response of the pacemaker modeled with mod-
ified forced van der oscillation is presented in Fig.13. By
changing value of the parameter ω o , the value of resting
potential can be decreased or increased, thus variation in
the generation of the action potentials frequency. Amplitude
Fig. 12. Phase portrait of Eq. 3 with different values of ω o . The parameters
α & µ =1.4, F=0.5, Ω =10
Fig. 13. Showing Time axis for values of ω o equal to π/7.17, π/7.0 and
π/6.86 respectively, while other parameters both α,µ= 1.4, Ω =30 and F=1.5.
should be keeping constant and independent with frequency
of action potentials The ratio between parameters µ and α
must be one. But the limit of µ and α should be greater or
equal to 1 and less than or equal to 2.
Fig.14 represent the comparison between the real cardiac
pacemaker (taken form [13], p.262, Fig. 11.2) and reproduced
cardiac pacemaker by our model. With respect to frequency
and voltage amplitude, our model have very low frequency
along with high voltage amplitude as compare with real
physiological values. However, the other properties of action
potential are meet with best accuracy.
Fig. 14. Top figure- action potential of real cardiac system. Bottom figure-
the action potentials of modeled here for following parameter ω o equal to
π/7.17, both α,µ= 1.4, Ω =30 and F=1.5.
IV. CONCLUSION
In this paper, Cardiac Pacemaker is modeled based on bond
graph, its state-space is obtained and its equation is simulated
to reproduce several plots of modified forced van der Pol
oscillator showing in time domain. The model made replicates
the result of experiments and allow to controls the behavior of
one out of three basic physiological quantities, called diastolic
period, that period is fundamental property in light of the way
that the development of the cardiovascular pacemaker should
have been controlled by many other external system, where
α & µ must be equal to each other for obtaining limit cycle
from standard van der Pol oscillator. For a range of control
parameters, the value of α & µ must be same and not more
than 2. F parameter should be less then and equal to 5, while
for smooth output, Ω should choose large.
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