Low-Complexity RR Interval-Based Cardiac Dysrhythmia Indicator for Wearable ECG Devices

Cardiac dysrhythmias pose a significant risk of sudden cardiac death, necessitating prompt detection and treatment. While wearable ECG devices offer real-time monitoring capabilities, current methods for identifying dysrhythmias are often time-consuming. In this paper, we present a novel low-complexity RR interval (RRI)-based Cardiac Dysrhythmia Indicator (CDI) aimed at efficiently detecting dysrhythmias. The CDI architecture comprises two principal components: the Slow-Fast-Normal Indicator Circuit (SFNIC) and the Normal-Abnormal Indicator Circuit (NAIC). SFNIC monitors dysrhythmias at each RRI, while NAIC evaluates dysrhythmia status at regular intervals, indicating normal or abnormal states every 64 RRIs (64 bpm is near to normal pulse rate). Through extensive simulations conducted using 0.18 μ <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$m$</tex> CMOS processes, with mixed-signal circuits operating within the (0.9-1.8) volt range, our design demonstrates successful recognition of various ECG rhythms. These findings suggest that the proposed CDI design holds promise for integration into wearable ECG devices, enabling real-time dysrhythmia detection and timely intervention.