Electrocardiogram Fiducial Point Detector Using a Bilateral Filter and Symmetrical Point-Filter Structure

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Cardiology

Background:

• Detecting fiducial points (FPs) in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals is challenging due to non-stationary effects and low signal-to-noise ratios.
• Noise from measurement environments and heart diseases further complicates accurate FP detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel and robust method for detecting fiducial points (FPs) in ECG signals.
• To address the challenges posed by noise and signal deformation in ECG analysis.

Main Methods:

• A one-dimensional bilateral filter (1DBF) was employed for noise suppression and edge preservation.
• The 1DBF was used to predict the background signal, enabling R-peak and QRS-interval detection.
• Sequential detection of Q- and S-points and P- and T-wave related FPs was performed based on the R-peak.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrated effective noise suppression while preserving important ECG waveform features.
• Accurate detection of R-peaks and QRS-intervals was achieved by analyzing the difference between the original and predicted background signals.
• Validation on the MIT-BIH and QT databases confirmed the performance of the FP detection method.

Conclusions:

• The novel 1DBF-based approach offers a reliable solution for detecting fiducial points in ECG signals.
• This method enhances the accuracy of ECG analysis, particularly in the presence of noise and signal irregularities.
• The findings contribute to improved diagnostic capabilities through more precise ECG interpretation.