Computer simulation and method for heart rhythm control based on ECG signal reference tracking

Abstract

In this work we use computer simulations to test a method for controlling heart rhythm behavior based on the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal tracking. The proposed control algorithm is based on two parameters, the controller proportional gain and the L∞ norm of tracking error signal. The objective is to take out the heart rhythm dynamics from a non desirable situation to a normal specified behavior, which is given by a signal generated by a reference system. Computer simulations are carried out using as process to control a mathematical model (MS1) composed with six differential delayed equations (DDE), which, depending on model parameters, provides different dynamical behaviors, from normal behavior to non desirable performances interpreted as cardio-pathologies. In order to generate an specified normal ECG reference signal, it is used MS1 with normal behavior parameters, and as alternative model, it is used a third order nonlinear dynamical system (MS2), which produces specific statistics such as the mean and standard deviation of the heart rate and frequency-domain characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV). By means of the proposed control law application, the heart rhythm is conduced to a neighborhood of the specified behavior and satisfactory results are obtained in numerical simulations with both reference models.