Real time electrocardiogram QRS detection using combined adaptive threshold

BACKGROUND: QRS and ventricular beat detection is a basic procedure for electrocardiogram (ECG) processing and analysis. Large variety of methods have been proposed and used, featuring high percentages of correct detection. Nevertheless, the problem remains open especially with respect to higher detection accuracy in noisy ECGs METHODS: A real-time detection method is proposed, based on comparison between absolute values of summed differentiated electrocardiograms of one of more ECG leads and adaptive threshold. The threshold combines three parameters: an adaptive slew-rate value, a second value which rises when high-frequency noise occurs, and a third one intended to avoid missing of low amplitude beats. Two algorithms were developed: Algorithm 1 detects at the current beat and Algorithm 2 has an RR interval analysis component in addition. The algorithms are self-adjusting to the thresholds and weighting constants, regardless of resolution and sampling frequency used. They operate with any number L of ECG leads, self-synchronize to QRS or beat slopes and adapt to beat-to-beat intervals. RESULTS: The algorithms were tested by an independent expert, thus excluding possible author's influence, using all 48 full-length ECG records of the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The results were: sensitivity Se = 99.69 % and specificity Sp = 99.65 % for Algorithm 1 and Se = 99.74 % and Sp = 99.65 % for Algorithm 2. CONCLUSION: The statistical indices are higher than, or comparable to those, cited in the scientific literature

On reductions of soliton solutions of multi-component NLS models and spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

We consider a class of multicomponent nonlinear Schrodinger equations (MNLS) related to the symmetric BD.I-type symmetric spaces. As important particular case of these MNLS we obtain the Kulish-Sklyanin model. Some new reductions and their effects on the soliton solutions are obtained by proper modifying the Zakahrov-Shabat dressing method.Comment: AIP AMiTaNS'09 Proceedings

On the pulsating strings in Sasaki-Einstein spaces

We study the class of pulsating strings in AdS_5 x Y^{p,q} and AdS_5 x L^{p,q,r}. Using a generalized ansatz for pulsating string configurations, we find new solutions for this class in terms of Heun functions, and derive the particular case of AdS_5 x T^{1,1}, which was analyzed in arXiv:1006.1539 [hep-th]. Unfortunately, Heun functions are still little studied, and we are not able to quantize the theory quasi-classically and obtain the first corrections to the energy. The latter, due to AdS/CFT correspondence, is supposed to give the anomalous dimensions of operators of the gauge theory dual N=1 superconformal field theory.Comment: 9 pages, talk given at the 2nd Int. Conference AMiTaNS, 21-26 June 2010, Sozopol, Bulgaria, organized by EAC (Euro-American Consortium) for Promoting AMiTaNS, to appear in the Proceedings of 2nd Int. Conference AMiTaN

Principal component analysis for the detection and assessment of T-wave alternans

Abstract T wave alternans (TWA) is an electrophisiologic Introduction T-wave alternans is a prognostic indicator of preceding episodes of Torsade de Pointes life-threatening arrhythmia TWA appears in the electrocardiogram as a consistent fluctuation in the repolarization morphology on everyother beat basis. The computerized ECG analysis led to the discovery, and routine clinical assessment, of invisible to the naked eye microvolt TWA Heart rate alone appears to be the main factor of determining the onset of TWA during submaximal exercise stress tests A variety of algorithms for detecting and quantifying TWA have been proposed, employing techniques as spectral analysis, complex demodulation, zero-crossings counting in a series of correlation coefficients, KarhunenLoève transform, low-pass Capon filtering, Poincaré mapping, periodicity transforms, statistical tests, modified moving average, Laplacian likelihood ratio, etc. A review by Martínez and Olmos [8] highlights the need for methodological systematization effort in characterization and comparison of the different methods. A multilead approach to T-wave alternans detection combining PCA and the Laplacian likelihood ratio method is proposed by Monasterio and Martínez The aim of this study is to assess the detection and quantification of TWA, by the performance of two combined methods: Twave amplitude statistical analysis and PCA in the framework of PhysioNet/Computers in Cardiology 2008 Challenge [10]. Methods A set of 100 ECG recordings were selected and collected in the framework of the Challenge [10] in order to test different algorithms for the detection and the quantification of TWA. These recordings consisted of 16 with 2 leads, 12 with 3 leads and the remaining 72 recordings with 12 leads

Public access defibrillation: Suppression of 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems

BACKGROUND: A specific problem using the public access defibrillators (PADs) arises at the railway stations. Some countries as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden are using AC railroad net power-supply system with rated 16.7 Hz frequency modulated from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz. The power supply frequency contaminates the electrocardiogram (ECG). It is difficult to be suppressed or eliminated due to the fact that it considerably overlaps the frequency spectra of the ECG. The interference impedes the automated decision of the PADs whether a patient should be (or should not be) shocked. The aim of this study is the suppression of the 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems. METHODS: Software solution using adaptive filtering method was proposed for 16.7 Hz interference suppression. The optimal performance of the filter is achieved, embedding a reference channel in the PADs to record the interference. The method was tested with ECGs from AHA database. RESULTS: The method was tested with patients of normal sinus rhythms, symptoms of tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Simulated interference with frequency modulation from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz changing at a rate of 2% per second was added to the ECGs, and then processed by the suggested adaptive filtering. The method totally suppresses the noise with no visible distortions of the original signals. CONCLUSION: The proposed adaptive filter for noise suppression generated by the power supply of the railway systems has a simple structure requiring a low level of computational resources, but a good reference signal as well

Spin-dependent twist-4 matrix elements from the instanton vacuum: Flavor-singlet and nonsinglet

We estimate the twist-4 spin-1 nucleon matrix element f_2 in an instanton-based description of the QCD vacuum. In addition to the flavor-nonsinglet we compute also the flavor-singlet matrix element, which appears in next-to-leading order of the (1/N_c)-expansion. The corresponding twist-3 spin-2 matrix elements d_2 are suppressed in the packing fraction of the instanton medium, (\bar \rho)/(\bar R) << 1. We use our results to estimate the leading (1/Q^2) power corrections to the first moment of the proton and neutron spin structure functions G_1, as well as the intrinsic charm contribution to the nucleon spin.Comment: 17 pages, 4 eps figures include