Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images
The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal describes the heart’s electrical activity, allowing it to detect several health conditions, including cardiac system abnormalities and dysfunctions. Nowadays, most patient medical records are still paper-based, especially those made in past decades. The importance...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/19/7138 |
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| author | Vincenzo Randazzo Edoardo Puleo Annunziata Paviglianiti Alberto Vallan Eros Pasero |
| author_facet | Vincenzo Randazzo Edoardo Puleo Annunziata Paviglianiti Alberto Vallan Eros Pasero |
| author_sort | Vincenzo Randazzo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal describes the heart’s electrical activity, allowing it to detect several health conditions, including cardiac system abnormalities and dysfunctions. Nowadays, most patient medical records are still paper-based, especially those made in past decades. The importance of collecting digitized ECGs is twofold: firstly, all medical applications can be easily implemented with an engineering approach if the ECGs are treated as signals; secondly, paper ECGs can deteriorate over time, therefore a correct evaluation of the patient’s clinical evolution is not always guaranteed. The goal of this paper is the realization of an automatic conversion algorithm from paper-based ECGs (images) to digital ECG signals. The algorithm involves a digitization process tested on an image set of 16 subjects, also with pathologies. The quantitative analysis of the digitization method is carried out by evaluating the repeatability and reproducibility of the algorithm. The digitization accuracy is evaluated both on the entire signal and on six ECG time parameters (R-R peak distance, QRS complex duration, QT interval, PQ interval, P-wave duration, and heart rate). Results demonstrate the algorithm efficiency has an average Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.94 and measurement errors of the ECG time parameters are always less than 1 mm. Due to the promising experimental results, the algorithm could be embedded into a graphical interface, becoming a measurement and collection tool for cardiologists. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:12:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9156ad2104b6413c9c9bcd0c33e1ca03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:12:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-9156ad2104b6413c9c9bcd0c33e1ca032023-11-23T21:44:02ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-09-012219713810.3390/s22197138Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper ImagesVincenzo Randazzo0Edoardo Puleo1Annunziata Paviglianiti2Alberto Vallan3Eros Pasero4Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino & Sezione INFN di Torino, 10125 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyThe electrocardiogram (ECG) signal describes the heart’s electrical activity, allowing it to detect several health conditions, including cardiac system abnormalities and dysfunctions. Nowadays, most patient medical records are still paper-based, especially those made in past decades. The importance of collecting digitized ECGs is twofold: firstly, all medical applications can be easily implemented with an engineering approach if the ECGs are treated as signals; secondly, paper ECGs can deteriorate over time, therefore a correct evaluation of the patient’s clinical evolution is not always guaranteed. The goal of this paper is the realization of an automatic conversion algorithm from paper-based ECGs (images) to digital ECG signals. The algorithm involves a digitization process tested on an image set of 16 subjects, also with pathologies. The quantitative analysis of the digitization method is carried out by evaluating the repeatability and reproducibility of the algorithm. The digitization accuracy is evaluated both on the entire signal and on six ECG time parameters (R-R peak distance, QRS complex duration, QT interval, PQ interval, P-wave duration, and heart rate). Results demonstrate the algorithm efficiency has an average Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.94 and measurement errors of the ECG time parameters are always less than 1 mm. Due to the promising experimental results, the algorithm could be embedded into a graphical interface, becoming a measurement and collection tool for cardiologists.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/19/7138digitizationelectrocardiogramECGheart pathologiesPearson’s coefficient measurementsignals similarity |
| spellingShingle | Vincenzo Randazzo Edoardo Puleo Annunziata Paviglianiti Alberto Vallan Eros Pasero Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images Sensors digitization electrocardiogram ECG heart pathologies Pearson’s coefficient measurement signals similarity |
| title | Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images |
| title_full | Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images |
| title_fullStr | Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images |
| title_short | Development and Validation of an Algorithm for the Digitization of ECG Paper Images |
| title_sort | development and validation of an algorithm for the digitization of ecg paper images |
| topic | digitization electrocardiogram ECG heart pathologies Pearson’s coefficient measurement signals similarity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/19/7138 |
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