Automated performance evaluation of real-time QRS-detection devices

This paper presents a QRS-detector error logger and the implementation of a fully automated system for evaluation of QRS-detector performance. The error logger requires a known reference, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) database, that provides ECG data and reference pulses wherever QRS complexes occur. These reference pulses are used to validate detection pulses generated by a QRS detector in real time. Using an eight-bit microcontroller chip, the error logger was constructed at a very low materials cost. Applications include automated analysis of QRS-detector performance and optimization of parameters in QRS-detection algorithms.