Application of the BEM in biopotential problems

Abstract We describe how the boundary element method (BEM) can be used in the general field of biopotential problems. We present here a cubic Hermite boundary element procedure for this purpose and show how this approach is computationally more efficient than traditional BEM procedures for solving potential-related problems. We also show how these C 1 interpolation functions can be used to model the complex domains that are present in many biopotential problems. Illustrative biopotentials results for two different clinically important areas are given. The first area deals with potentials generated by the heart (electrocardiography) while the second field is related to potentials arising from brain activity (electroencephalography).

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