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Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Patient Directed Recording of a Bipolar Three-Lead Electrocardiogram using a Smartwatch with ECG Function
Published on: December 11, 2019
Improved recording of atrial activity by modified bipolar leads derived from the 12-lead electrocardiogram
Alan Kennedy1, Dewar D Finlay1, Daniel Guldenring1
1Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Centre, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK.
Abstract:
This study investigates the use of multivariate linear regression to estimate three bipolar ECG leads from the 12-lead ECG in order to improve P-wave signal strength. The study population consisted of body surface potential maps recorded from 229 healthy subjects. P-waves were then isolated and population based transformation weights developed. A derived P-lead (measured between the right sternoclavicular joint and midway along the costal margin in line with the seventh intercostal space) demonstrated significant improvement in median P-wave root mean square (RMS) signal strength when compared to lead II (94μV vs. 76μV, p<0.001). A derived ES lead (from the EASI lead system) also showed small but significant improvement in median P-wave RMS (79μV vs. 76μV, p=0.0054). Finally, a derived modified Lewis lead did not improve median P-wave RMS when compared to lead II. However, this derived lead improved atrioventricular RMS ratio. P-wave leads derived from the 12-lead ECG can improve signal-to-noise ratio of the P-wave; this may improve the performance of detection algorithms that rely on P-wave analysis.
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