Let the signals self-calibrate: data-driven inverse problem in electrocardiography

Associate Professor Joël Karel and his team at DACS obtained an NWO Open Competition ENW-XS grant for their research into electrocardiographic imaging. Joël explains the goal of this research project: “A conventional electrocardiogram shows when the heart is electrically active. Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) shows where this activity originates from, and how it spreads across the heart. This enables physicians to diagnose cardiac arrhythmias more accurately and to better plan treatments. However, the clinical use of ECGI is limited, among other factors, by the need for precise knowledge of the positions of all electrodes. In this project, we investigate a new form of self-calibration, in which small electrode patches determine their position directly from the measured signals. This could remove a major practical barrier to ECGI. If successful, it would make the technology simpler, faster, and more affordable, bringing advanced cardiac diagnostics within reach of primary care, ambulatory monitoring, and ultimately even home-based care.”