An Efficient Teager Energy Operator-Based Automated QRS Complex Detection

The efficiency and robustness of the proposed method has been tested on Fantasia Database (FTD), MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database (MIT-AD), and MIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm Database (MIT-NSD).

Because of the importance of QRS complex in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, improvement in accuracy of its measurement has been set as a target. The present study provides an algorithm for automatic detection of QRS complex on the ECG signal, with the benefit of energy and reduced impact of noise on the ECG signal.

The method is basically based on the Teager energy operator (TEO), which facilitates the detection of the baseline threshold and extracts QRS complex from the ECG signal.

The testing of the undertaken method on the Fanatasia Database showed the following results: sensitivity (Se) = 99.971%, positive prediction (P+) = 99.973%, detection error rate (DER) = 0.056%, and accuracy (Acc) = 99.944%. On MIT-AD involvement, Se = 99.74%, P+ = 99.97%, DER = 0.291%, and Acc = 99.71%. On MIT-NSD involvement, Se = 99.878%, P+ = 99.989%, DER = 0.134%, and Acc = 99.867%.

Despite the closeness of the recorded peaks which inflicts a constraint in detection of the two consecutive QRS complexes, the proposed method, by applying 4 simple and quick steps, has effectively and reliably detected the QRS complexes which make it suitable for practical purposes and applications.