Comparison of compression ratios for ECG signals by using three time-frequency transformations

Abstract

In this paper are presented compression results of ECG signal by using three time-frequency transformations: Discrete Wavelet Transform, Wavelet Packets and Modified Cosine Transform. By using transforms mentioned, samples of signals are transformed to appropriate groups of transformation coefficients. Almost all coefficients below the determined threshold are rounded to zero values and by inverse transform the similar signal to original one is created. By using run-length coder, consecutive zero value coefficients can be replaced by single value that shows how many consecutive coefficients with zero value exists. In this way small number of coefficients is stored, and compression is obtained. Depending on transform used, different number of coefficients is rounded to zero in different positions, hence the reconstructed signal is more or less similar to the original one. In general there exists measures that show how much reconstructed signal is similar to the original one, and the most used is Percentage Root mean square Difference (PRD). Comparison of compression is performed in obtaining the larger compression ratio for the smaller PRD.