Deep Learning-Driven Single-Lead ECG Classification: A Rapid Approach for Comprehensive Cardiac Diagnostics

Background/Objectives: This study aims to address the critical need for accessible, early, and accurate cardiac di-agnostics, especially in resource-limited or remote settings. By shifting focus from traditional multi-lead ECG analysis to single-lead ECG data, this research explores the potential of advanced deep learning models for classifying cardiac conditions, including Nor-mal, Abnormal, Previous Myocardial Infarction (PMI), and Myocardial Infarction (MI). Methods: Five state-of-the-art deep learning architectures-Inception, DenseNet201, MobileNetV2, NASNetLarge, and VGG16-were systematically evaluated on individual ECG leads. Key performance metrics, such as model accuracy, inference time, and size, were analyzed to determine the optimal configurations for practical applications. Results: VGG16 emerged as the most accurate model, achieving an F1-score of 98.11% on lead V4 with a prediction time of 4.2 ms and a size of 528 MB, making it suitable for high-precision clinical settings. MobileNetV2, with a compact size of 13.4 MB, offered a balanced performance, achieving a 97.24% F1-score with a faster inference time of 3.2 ms, positioning it as an ideal candidate for real-time monitoring and telehealth applications. Conclusions: This study bridges a critical gap in cardiac diagnostics by demonstrating the feasibility of lightweight, scalable, single-lead ECG analysis using advanced deep learning models. The findings pave the way for deploying portable diagnostic tools across diverse settings, enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of cardiac care globally.