Unified neural network based pathologic event reconstruction using spatial heart model

Abstract

This paper presents a new way to solve the inverse problem of electrocardiography in terms of heart model parameters. The developed event estimation and recognition method uses a unified neural network (UNN)-based optimization system to determine the most relevant heart model parameters. A UNN-based preliminary ECG analyzer system has been created to reduce the searching space of the optimization algorithm. The optimal model parameters were determined by a relation between objective function minimization and robustness of the solution. The final evaluation results, validated by physicians, were about 96% correct. Starting from the fact that input ECGs contained various malfunction cases, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, atrial and ventricular fibrillation, these results suggest this approach provides a robust inverse solution, circumventing most of the difficulties of the ECG inverse problem. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.