A syntactic algorithm for peak detection in waveforms with applications to cardiography

ABSTRACT

Peaks in a digitized waveform are detected by an algorithm incorporating piecewise linear approximation and tabular parsing techniques. Several parameters serve to identify the waveform context enabling accurate measurement of peak amplitude, duration, and shape. The algorithm is of sufficient speed to allow on-line real-time processing. An example of its application is demonstrated on an electrocardiogram.

REFERENCES

• 1: Wartak, J., Milliken, J.A., and Kalchmar, J. A computer program for pattern recognition of electrocardiograms. Computers and Biomedical Research 3, 4 (Aug. 1970), 344-374.
• 2: Bonner, R.E., et al., A new computer program for analysis of scalar electrocardiograms. Computers bl Biomedical Research, 5, 6 (Dec. 1972), 629-653.
• 3: Stockman, G.C., Kanal, L.N., and Kyle, M.C. Design of a waveform parsing system. Proc. First Internat. Joint Conf. on Pattern Recognition, 1973, pp. 236-243.
• 4: Pavlidis, T. Linguistic analysis of waveforms. In Software Engineerbtg, Vol. 4, J. T. Tou, (Ed.), Academic Press, New York, 1971, pp. 203-225.
• 5: Pavlidis, T. Waveform segmentation through functional approximation. IEEE Trans. Comput. C-22, 7 (July 1973), 689-697.
• 6: Pavlidis, T., and Horowitz, S.L. Segmentation of plane curves IEEE Trans. Comput. C-23, 8 (Aug. 1974), 860-870.
• 7: Alfred V. Aho , Jeffrey D. Ullman, The Theory of Parsing, Translation, and Compiling, Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference, 1972

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  J. Computer Applications
  J.3 LIFE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
      Subjects: Health

Additional Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.4 MATHEMATICAL LOGIC AND FORMAL LANGUAGES
      F.4.2 Grammars and Other Rewriting Systems
          Subjects: Grammar types (e.g., context-free, context-sensitive)

  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.1 NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
      G.1.2 Approximation
          Subjects: Linear approximation

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.4 IMAGE PROCESSING AND COMPUTER VISION
      I.4.6 Segmentation
          Subjects: Edge and feature detection
  I.5 PATTERN RECOGNITION
      I.5.4 Applications
          Subjects: Waveform analysis

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Human Factors, Languages, Theory

Keywords:
bottom-up parsing, context-free grammar, digitized waveform, electrocardiagram, peak detection, piecewise linear approximation