Classification of multi-lead ECG based on multiple scales and hierarchical feature convolutional neural networks
Feiyan Zhou, Duanshu Fang
Abstract
Detecting and classifying arrhythmias is essential in diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. However, current deep learning-based classification methods often encounter difficulties in effectively integrating both the morphological and temporal features of Electrocardiograms (ECGs). To address this challenge, we propose a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that incorporates mixed scales and hierarchical features combined with the Lead Encoder Attention (LEA) mechanism for multi-lead ECG classification. We validated the performance of our proposed method using the intrapatient approach of the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia (MIT-BIH-AR) Database and the interpatient approach of the Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Database (CCDD). Our model achieves an Accuracy (Acc) of 99.5% for the classification of normal and abnormal heartbeats in the MIT-BIH-AR database. Our method achieves a TPR95 (NPV under the condition of True Positive Rate being equal to 95 percent) of 78.5% and an Acc of 88.5% when classifying normal and abnormal ECG records from over 150,000 ECG records in the CCDD. The cross-dataset experimental results also confirm the model's strong generalization capability.