Foetal PQRST extraction from ECG recordings using cyclostationarity-based source separation method

This work proposes a novel foetal electrocardiogram (FECG) extraction approach based on the cyclostationary properties of the signal of interest. The problem of FECG extraction can easily fit in a blind source separation (BSS) framework; taking into account specific statistical nature of the signal, that one wants to extract, leads to an algorithm able to estimate the FECG contribution to ECG recordings where the maternal ECG is predominant. We show that the proposed procedure provides estimates of the FECGs PQRST complexes without incorporating any prior knowledge concerning PQRST features. Discussions about foetal heart rate variability (HRV) estimation and future works conclude this paper.