Deep learning for comprehensive ECG annotation

BACKGROUND: Increasing utilization of long-term outpatient ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring continues to drive the need for improved ECG interpretation algorithms. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the BeatLogic® platform for ECG interpretation and to validate the platform using electrophysiologist-adjudicated real-world data and publicly available validation data. METHODS: Deep learning models were trained to perform beat and rhythm detection/classification using ECGs collected with the Preventice BodyGuardian® Heart monitor. Training annotations were created by certified ECG technicians, and validation annotations were adjudicated by a team of board-certified electrophysiologists. Deep learning model classification results were used to generate contiguous annotation results, and performance was assessed in accordance with the EC57 standard. RESULTS: On the real-world validation dataset, BeatLogic beat detection sensitivity and positive predictive value were 99.84% and 99.78%, respectively. Ventricular ectopic beat classification sensitivity and positive predictive value were 89.4% and 97.8%, respectively. Episode and duration F(1) scores (range 0–100) exceeded 70 for all 14 rhythms (including noise) that were evaluated. F(1) scores for 11 rhythms exceeded 80, 7 exceeded 90, and 5 including atrial fibrillation/flutter, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular bigeminy, ventricular trigeminy, and third-degree heart block exceeded 95. CONCLUSION: The BeatLogic platform represents the next stage of advancement for algorithmic ECG interpretation. This comprehensive platform performs beat detection, beat classification, and rhythm detection/classification with greatly improved performance over the current state of the art, with comparable or improved performance over previously published algorithms that can accomplish only 1 of these 3 tasks.