Enhanced turning point algorithm for the visualization and printing of long term ECG curves

In the modern ECG signal processing systems the typical sampling rate is between 100 to 2000 Hz. However, in many situations the amount of samples has to be reduced in a way that the significant morphological features such as peaks, valleys, actually the turning points are preserved. To solve this problem a very efficient enhanced turning point algorithm has been developed. The original turning point algorithm has been proposed by Mueller. This method gives a compression factor of 2:1. The presented enhanced algorithm provides an arbitrary integer reduction in real-time preserving of the turning points. We achieved an average sampling rate of 18 Hz for CTS test curves without losing any waves. Disadvantages of the method include not equally spaced sampling and widening of waves. However it does not cause any problems in case of visualization and printing of long term ECG curves at low paper speed. A new enhanced turning point algorithm has been presented. It has demonstrated itself as a very efficient real-time method suitable to apply for visualizing and printing of long term ECG. A fraction reduction factor also can be achieved performing previous interpolation.