Finite Element Modeling of Cardiac Ablation by Pulsed Electric Fields: Bridging Catheter Design and Nanobiological Membrane Effects

Cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation remain a major health challenge, motivating the development of safer and more effective ablation techniques. Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has emerged as a non-thermal alternative to radiofrequency and cryoablation, relying on electroporation to achieve targeted myocardial cell death while preserving adjacent structures. This study presents a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of the commercial FARAWAVE PFA catheter integrated into a simplified cardiac anatomy model to investigate the distribution of electric fields during ablation. Simulations were performed in COMSOL Multiphysics considering different catheter–tissue coupling distances (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mm), and incorporating a nonlinear conductivity model for myocardial tissue as a function of local field intensity. Results demonstrate that direct catheter–tissue contact yields optimal field penetration and volumes consistent with irreversible electroporation thresholds (E ≥ 60 kV/m). Even small gaps significantly reduce both intensity and effective tissue coverage, with a 2 mm gap causing the volume of tissue undergoing irreversible electroporation to decrease by over 65%. These findings highlight the critical importance of precise catheter positioning for clinical efficacy. Although the simulations operate at the macroscale, the ultimate therapeutic mechanism—cell membrane permeabilization—occurs at the nanometer level, positioning electroporation as a nanobiotechnology process applied to life sciences. This work bridges catheter engineering with nanobiological mechanisms of electroporation, demonstrating how computational modeling links nanoscale membrane effects to macroscale ablation outcomes.