Wavelet transform-based QRS complex detector

In this paper, we describe a QRS complex detector based on the dyadic wavel et transform (D-g WT) which is robust to time-varying QRS complex morpholog y and to noise. We design a spline wavelet that is suitable for QRS detecti on. The scales of this wavelet are chosen based on the spectral characteris tics of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. We illustrate the performance o f the D-y WT-based QRS detector by considering problematic ECG signals from the American Heart Association (AHA) data base. Seventy hours of data was considered. We also compare the performance of D-y WT-based QRS detector wi th detectors based on Okada, Hamilton-Tompkins, and multiplication of the b ackward difference algorithms. From the comparison, results we observed tha t although no one algorithm exhibited superior performance in all situation s, the D-y WT-based detector compared well with the standard techniques. Fo r multiform premature ventricular contractions, bigeminy, and couplets tape s, the D-y WT-based detector exhibited excellent performance.