Automated QT Interval Analysis on Diagnostic Electrocardiograms

In this study, we suggest a method for automatic measurement of the QT interval. The method derives from the standard technique of “selective beat averaging”. To overcome those situations in which the templates are noisy as they arise from averaging only a small number of beats, two separate patterns were used: one for the QRS complex and the other for the T wave. The templates were carefully matched with the beats by cross-correlation, using an iterative refinement process. The method was employed to automatically measure QT segments on the PTB Diagnostic ECG Database used for the 2006 Computers in Cardiology Challenge. A score in division 3 of 81.07 ms was obtained pointing out that the method needs further tuning and refinements. Excluding those beats for which the estimated QT values are outside the main physiological range (290–500 ms) a more promising tentative score of 41.62 ms might be obtained.