Reto A. Wildhaber

Graphics Processor Unit Based Parallelization of Optimized Baseline Wander Filtering Algorithms for Long-term Electrocardiography

Long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) often suffers from relevant noise. Baseline wander in particular is pronounced in ECG recordings using dry or esophageal electrodes, which are dedicated for prolonged registration. While analog high-pass filters introduce phase distortions, reliable offline filtering of the baseline wander implies a computational burden that has to be put in relation to the increase in signal-to-baseline ratio (SBR). Here, we present a graphics processor unit (GPU)-based parallelization method to speed up offline baseline wander filter algorithms, namely the wavelet, finite, and infinite impulse response, moving mean, and moving median filter. Individual filter parameters were optimized with respect to the SBR increase based on ECGs from the Physionet database superimposed to autoregressive modeled, real baseline wander. A Monte-Carlo simulation showed that for low input SBR the moving median filter outperforms any other method but negatively affects ECG wave detection. In contrast, the infinite impulse response filter is preferred in case of high input SBR. However, the parallelized wavelet filter is processed 500 and four times faster than these two algorithms on the GPU, respectively, and offers superior baseline wander suppression in low SBR situations. Using a signal segment of 64 mega samples that is filtered as entire unit, wavelet filtering of a seven-day high-resolution ECG is computed within less than 3 s. Taking the high filtering speed into account, the GPU wavelet filter is the most efficient method to remove baseline wander present in long-term ECGs, with which computational burden can be strongly reduced.

A Baseline Wander Tracking System for Artifact Rejection in Long-Term Electrocardiography

Long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) signals might suffer from relevant baseline disturbances during physical activity. Motion artifacts in particular are more pronounced with dry surface or esophageal electrodes which are dedicated to prolonged ECG recording. In this paper we present a method called baseline wander tracking (BWT) that tracks and rejects strong baseline disturbances and avoids concurrent saturation of the analog front-end. The proposed algorithm shifts the baseline level of the ECG signal to the middle of the dynamic input range. Due to the fast offset shifts, that produce much steeper signal portions than the normal ECG waves, the true ECG signal can be reconstructed offline and filtered using computationally intensive algorithms. Based on Monte Carlo simulations we observed reconstruction errors mainly caused by the non-linearity inaccuracies of the DAC. However, the signal to error ratio of the BWT is higher compared to an analog front-end featuring a dynamic input ranges above 15 mV if a synthetic ECG signal was used. The BWT is additionally able to suppress (electrode) offset potentials without introducing long transients. Due to its structural simplicity, memory efficiency and the DC coupling capability, the BWT is dedicated to high integration required in long-term and low-power ECG recording systems.

Bufferless Compression of Asynchronously Sampled ECG Signals in Cubic Hermitian Vector Space

Asynchronous level crossing sampling analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are known to be more energy efficient and produce fewer samples than their equidistantly sampling counterparts. However, as the required threshold voltage is lowered, the number of samples and, in turn, the data rate and the energy consumed by the overall system increases. In this paper, we present a cubic Hermitian vector-based technique for online compression of asynchronously sampled electrocardiogram signals. The proposed method is computationally efficient data compression. The algorithm has complexity O(n), thus well suited for asynchronous ADCs. Our algorithm requires no data buffering, maintaining the energy advantage of asynchronous ADCs. The proposed method of compression has a compression ratio of up to 90% with achievable percentage root-mean-square difference ratios as a low as 0.97. The algorithm preserves the superior feature-to-feature timing accuracy of asynchronously sampled signals. These advantages are achieved in a computationally efficient manner since algorithm boundary parameters for the signals are extracted a priori.

Markers for silent atrial fibrillation in esophageal long-term electrocardiography

PURPOSE Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) often remains undiagnosed. Long-term surface ECG is used for screening, but has limitations. Esophageal ECG (eECG) allows recording high quality atrial signals, which were used to identify markers for PAF. METHODS In 50 patients (25 patients with PAF; 25 controls) an eECG and surface ECG was recorded simultaneously. Partially A-V blocked atrial runs (PBARs) were quantified, atrial signal duration in eECG was measured. RESULTS eECG revealed 1.8‰ of atrial premature beats in patients with known PAF to be PBARs with a median duration of 853ms (interquartile range (IQR) 813-1836ms) and a median atrial cycle length of 366ms (IQR 282-432ms). Even during a short recording duration of 2.1h (IQR 1.2-17.2h), PBARs occurred in 20% of PAF patients but not in controls (p=0.05). Left atrial signal duration was predictive for PAF (72% sensitivity, 80% specificity). CONCLUSIONS eECG reveals partially blocked atrial runs and prolonged left atrial signal duration - two novel surrogate markers for PAF.

Signal detection and discrimination for medical devices using windowed state space filters

We introduce a model-based approach for computationally efficient signal detection and discrimination, which is relevant for biological signals. Due to its low computational complexity and low memory need, this approach is well-suited for low power designs, as required for medical devices and implants. We use linear state space models to gain recursive, efficient computation rules and obtain the model parameters by minimizing the squared error on discrete-time observations. Furthermore we combine multiple models of different time-scales to match superpositions of signals of variable length. To give immediate access to our method, we highlight the use in several practical examples on standard and on esophageal ECG signals. This method was adapted and improved as part of a research and development project for medical devices.

Autonomous state space models for recursive signal estimation beyond least squares

The paper addresses the problem of fitting, at any given time, a parameterized signal generated by an autonomous linear state space model (LSSM) to discrete-time observations. When the cost function is the squared error, the fitting can be accomplished based on efficient recursions. In this paper, the squared error cost is generalized to more advanced cost functions while preserving recursive computations: first, the standard sample-wise squared error is augmented with a sample-dependent polynomial error; second, the sample-wise errors are localized by a window function that is itself described by an autonomous LSSM. It is further demonstrated how such a signal estimation can be extended to handle unknown additive and/or multiplicative interference. All these results rely on two facts: first, the correlation function between a given discrete-time signal and a LSSM signal can be computed by efficient recursions; second, the set of LSSM signals is a ring.

Inferring depolarization of cells from 3D-electrode measurements using a bank of linear state space models

Cell depolarization runs essentially in a uniform motion along the muscular tissue, which creates transient electrical potential differences measurable by nearby electrodes. Inferring the depolarization speed and direction from measurements is of great interest for physicians. In cardiology, this is part of the inverse ECG problem which often requires a large number of electrodes and intense computational power even if the simple common model of the single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) is applied. In this paper, we model a depolarization process as a straight-line movement of a SEMD. We provide an efficient algorithm based on linear state space models that infers the SEMD movement using only 3 measurement channels from a tetrahedral electrode and with the presence of interferences. Our algorithm is tested both on simulated and experimental data.

Das Langzeit-Ösophagus-EKG

Das Screening nach Vorhofflimmern erfolgt vorwiegend mittels Langzeit-EKG. Dabei ist die Sensitivitat der Screeningmethode proportional zur Dauer und Anzahl der EKG-Aufzeichnungen.