A novel ECG QRS complex detection algorithm based on dynamic Bayesian network.

Abstract

Accurate detection of the QRS complex, a crucial reference for heartbeat localization in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, remains inadequate in wearable ECG devices due to complex noise interference. In this study, we propose a novel QRS complex detection method based on dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), integrating the probability distribution of RR intervals. Unlike methods focusing solely on ECG waveforms, our approach explicitly integrates ECG waveform and heart rhythm information into a unified probability model, enhancing noise robustness. Additionally, an unsupervised parameter optimization using expectation maximization (EM) adapts to individual differences of patients. Furthermore, several simplification strategies improve reasoning efficiency, and an online detection mode enables real-time applications. Our method outperforms other state-of-the-art QRS detection methods, including deep learning (DL) methods, on noisy datasets. In conclusion, the proposed DBN-based QRS detection algorithm demonstrates outstanding accuracy, noise robustness, generalization ability, real-time capability, and strong scalability, indicating its potential application in wearable ECG devices.