Frequency domain analysis of high resolution signal averaged ECG for detection of ventricular late potential

Abstract

The heart, most important organs in the entire human body is essentially a muscle (a little larger than the fist). The heart serves as a pump because of its ability to contract under an electrical stimulus. The conduction system of the heart consists of structures called the SINOATRIAL NODE. The SA node fires the electrical impulses through the bioelectrical mechanism. The contraction of so many muscle cells at one time creates a mass electrical signal that can be detected by electrodes placed on the surface of the patient’s chest. This electrical discharge can be mechanically plotted as a function of time, and the resultant wave form is called ELECTRO-CARDIO-GRAM Signal processing of electrocardiogram (ECG) provides indispensable information to cardiac disease diagnosis. Most of the characteristic changes in ECG epochs are detected to produce diagnosis-aiding information that is clinically significant. Most of heart problem are extremes heart beats, premature contraction, heart blocks and fibrillation classified as ARRHYTHMIAX and are detected by a very minute electric signal that appears after the normal heart cycle (QRS Complex). This signal is termed as the Late Potential. Late potential is difficult to detect because they are small amplitude signal which are embedded in noise typically found on the surface ECG recoding. Moreover because of the variability of QRS duration in human hearts the time domain analysis of LATE POTENTIAL does not provide desired accuracy and reliability. A need has been felt to convert the time domain analysis to the frequency domain analysis and filtration of inherited noise to improve accuracy. This very need form the basis of our motivation to undertake the project Moreover this facility is not even available in the elite hospitals of Pakistan, where by the multinational companies are pumping in staggering investments in this area of research, taken up at higher levels this venture can be a major medical breakthrough.