Comments on: DIY ECG Detected an Irregular Heartbeat

By: Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:33:38 +0000

You’ve probably had loads of input on this by now. The irregular beat you’ve recorded is, as you intitially described, noise. Also described as artifact, of which there are many causes depending on the appearence, this particular one is less electrically based and more a “knock” on the electrode. If it were to be considered an ectopic, because it is wider and of a different morphology to the sinus rhythm displayed, it would be a ventricular ectopic. A regular ventricular ectopic should have a compensatory pause after (although rarely an interpolated ventricular ectopic can be seen which does not have a pause), this cleary doesn’t and the following sinus beat lands in the refractory period of the “ectopic” which would not normally conduct and if it did could lead to a dangerous ventricular arrhhythmia. Very good project by the way!

By: Lucas Barbosa

Lucas Barbosa — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:42:07 +0000

hy. Nice work uve done. About this irregular heartbeat, it looks like to me to be a supraventricular extrasistole. U can notice a wave similar to the “p wave” just before the irregular hearbeat. Also it seens to be a compensatory pause after this extrasistole. But i am not shure. Can u measure the interval between this abnormal heartbeat and the next heartbeat, and then compare it with the other RRIs? Also, it is very interesting to notice an increased potential inversion rigth before the QRS complex, and that the first of the two coupled waves, wich should be the normal wave, is actually much more abnormal then the extrasistole wave. Anyway, have u checeked for that with your phisiology professor? If so, post here what he told u about this wave.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:30:42 +0000

lol, good ideas. Rats and mice are hard because I’d have to make tiny electrodes, and I imagine that it would require much more signal amplification. I’ll definitely use my wife as a control though. I wonder if she’d be up for letting me tape some ewie gewie electrodes to her chest.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:08:56 +0000

Hey here is an idea for you, get a control. Ask your wife if you can analyze her heart beat. This will give you a control of sorts. At least you will be able to determine if there is a inconsistency in the machine. Also remove distractions, a sudden movement or event could increase blood flow and the rate your heart is beating. Or if you want to be really cool hook up some rats and monitor their heart rate right before you remove them of their heads.