An Open-source Toolbox for Analysing and Processing PhysioNet Databases in MATLAB and Octave

Abstract

The WaveForm DataBase (WFDB) Toolbox for MATLAB/Octave enables  integrated access to PhysioNet's software and databases. Using the WFDB Toolbox for MATLAB/Octave, users have access to over 50 physiological databases in PhysioNet. The toolbox allows direct loading into MATLAB/Octave's workspace of over 4 TB of biomedical signals including ECG, EEG, EMG, and PLETH. Additionally, most signals are accompanied by meta data such as medical annotations of clinical events: arrhythmias, sleep stages, seizures, hypotensive episodes, etc. Users of this toolbox should easily be able to reproduce, validate, and compare results published based on PhysioNet's software and databases.