APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REMOVING NOISE FROM BIOSIGNALS

• US 20130245479A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Hwang, Do-Sik, Jang, Ung, Kim, Ji-han
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/521
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for removing noise from biosignals. An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for removing noise from biosignals measured for a particular period of time that includes: a similarity calculating unit configured to calculate a similarity between any one biosignal from among the biosignals and other biosignals; and a noise removal unit configured to remove noise from the any one biosignal by using the similarity. Aspects of the invention provide the advantage of effectively removing noise from biosignals without distorting the waveforms of the biosignals.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing noise from biosignals measured for a particular period of time, the apparatus comprising:

a similarity calculating unit configured to calculate a similarity between any one biosignal from among the biosignals and other biosignals; and

a noise removal unit configured to remove noise from the any one biosignal by using the similarity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the noise removal unit calculates weights for the other biosignals respectively by using the similarity and removes noise from the any one biosignal based on a weighted average of the biosignals using the weights.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biosignal is an ECG (electrocardiogram) signal, and the ECG signal includes a P-wave, a QRS-complex, and a T-wave waveform.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a selection unit configured to select a particular target signal for the noise removal from among signals included in the any one biosignal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the similarity calculating unit comprises:

an alignment unit configured to align the biosignals with respect to an R peak of the QRS complex waveform included in the biosignals;

a search window setting unit configured to set a range of a search window to include the target signal and signals within a particular range centering around the target signal from among signals included in the aligned biosignals;

a unit window setting unit configured to set a size of a unit window for the calculating of similarity; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate a similarity between signals included in a unit window centering around the target signal and signals included in unit windows centering around signals included in the search window.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the alignment unit separates the biosignals based on a preset area centering around the R peak and aligns the separated biosignals with respect to the R peak.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the calculating unit calculates the similarity by using a mean absolute deviation between the signals included in a unit window centering around the target signal and the signals included in unit windows centering around signals included in the search window.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the search window setting unit sets the range of the search window differently according to a type of waveform to which the selected target signal belongs, and

the unit window setting unit sets the size of the unit window differently according to a type of waveform to which the selected target signal belongs.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the noise removal unit comprises:

a weight calculating unit configured to calculate weights for signals included in the search window respectively by using the similarity; and

a weighted averaging unit configured to perform a weighted averaging for signals included in the search window by using the weights.

10. A method for removing noise from biosignals measured for a particular period of time, the method comprising:

calculating a similarity between any one biosignal from among the biosignals and other biosignals; and

removing noise from the any one biosignal by using the similarity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the biosignal is an ECG (electrocardiogram) signal including a P-wave, a QRS-complex, and a T-wave waveform.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the calculating of the similarity comprises:

aligning the biosignals with respect to an R peak of the QRS complex waveform included in the biosignals;

selecting a particular target signal for the noise removal from among signals included in the any one biosignal;

setting a range of a search window to include the target signal and signals within a particular range centering around the target signal from among signals included in the aligned biosignals;

setting a size of a unit window for the calculating of similarity; and

calculating a similarity between signals included in a unit window centering around the target signal and signals included in unit windows centering around signals included in the search window.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular target signal is selected from signals belonging to the P-wave, the QRS-complex, and the T-wave waveforms, and

the setting of the range of the search window comprises setting the range of the search window differently according to a type of waveform to which the selected target signal belongs.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the removing of the noise comprises:

calculating weights for signals included in the search window respectively by using the similarity; and

performing a weighted averaging for signals included in the search window by using the weights.