An Artificial Intelligence QRS Detection Algorithm for Wearable Electrocardiogram Devices

At the core of AI-driven electrocardiogram diagnosis lies the precise localization of the QRS complex. While QRS detection methods for multiple leads have been researched adequately in the last few decades, their multi-lead strategies still need to be designed manually. Therefore, a QRS detector that can fuse multiple leads automatically is still worth investigating.

The proposed QRS detector comprises a leads-distillation module (LDM) and a QRS detection module. The LDM can distill multi-lead signals into single-lead ones. This procedure minimizes the weight proportions assigned to noisy leads, enabling the network to generate a novel signal that facilitates the recognition of QRS waves. The QRS detection module, utilizing U-Net, is capable of discerning QRS complexes from the novel signal.

Our method demonstrates outstanding performance with a parameter count of only 5216. It achieves an excellent F1 score of 99.83 on the MITBIHA database and 99.77 on the INCART database, specifically in the inter-patient pattern. In the cross-database pattern, our approach maintains a strong performance with an F1 score of 99.22 on the INCART database and an F1 score of 99.09 on the MITBIHA database.

Our method provides a novel idea for universal multi-lead QRS detection. It possesses advantages, such as reduced computational parameters, enhanced precision, and heightened compatibility.

Our method canceled the repeated deployment of the QRS detection function to different lead configurations in the electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnostic system. Moreover, the scaling operation may become a simple tool to decrease the computational load of the network.