Performance evaluation of wavelet-based ECG compression algorithms for telecardiology application over CDMA network

Abstract

The use of wireless networks bears great practical importance in instantaneous transmission of ECG signals during movement. In this paper, three typical wavelet-based ECG compression algorithms, Rajoub (RA), Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZ), and Wavelet Transform Higher-Order Statistics Coding (WH), were evaluated to find an appropriate ECG compression algorithm for scalable and reliable wireless tele-cardiology applications, particularly over a CDMA network. The short-term and long-term performance characteristics of the three algorithms were analyzed using normal, abnormal, and measurement noise-contaminated ECG signals from the MIT-BIH database. In addition to the processing delay measurement, compression efficiency and reconstruction sensitivity to error were also evaluated via simulation models including the noise-free channel model, random noise channel model, and CDMA channel model, as well as over an actual CDMA network currently operating in Korea. This study found that the EZ algorithm achieves the best compression efficiency within a low-noise environment, and that the WH algorithm is competitive for use in high-error environments with degraded short-term performance with abnormal or contaminated ECG signals.