Sound transformation (sonification) of an electrocardiogram – a new approach in telemetry monitoring of heart activity

 The object of research in the project proposal is a new approach for presenting and transmitting ECG remotely, consisting of transforming the recorded analog signal into sound (sonification) and using the most common method for remote connectivity – acoustic communication. This type of communication does not require special data protection measures (encryption), as it uses standard transfer channels provided by telecommunications companies. The planned activities include the development and experimental research of hardware and software solutions for transforming ECG signals into sound and subsequently using the "sonified" ECG signal for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias. For this purpose, a portable patient module for recording "sonified" ECG signals with optimal characteristics will be assembled. In the second stage, the diagnostic potential of the amplitude-frequency modulated acoustic ECG signal (in 3D space – time/frequency/amplitude) will be investigated using machine learning classification algorithms. Digital processing will be performed on a high-performance computer station, which will enable the training of various multivariate optimization and classification models (e.g., statistical models, Naïve Bayes, k-nearest neighbors, principal component analysis, stepwise discriminant analysis, fuzzy logic, decision trees, support vector machines, conventional neural networks, etc.)