Real-Time Data Compression for a Holter Monitor

Holter monitors record either twenty-four or forty-eight hours of electrocardiogram (ECG) data. Physicians use Holter monitors to record specific ECG events that appear during a twenty-four or forty-eight hour period. The ECG data is stored onto an analog cassette for later analysis. Pre-processing can assist in event classification as well as storage of the data. However, portable devices have limited capabilities due to size and power requirements. Portable devices generally use either a nine volt or a series of AA or AAA batteries as the power source. Thus, real-time arrhythmia analysis and data compression become necessary to reduce the memory requirements for storing twenty-four hours of ECG data