Evaluation of the 'TRIM' ECG data compressor
George B Moody, R.G. Mark, Ary L. Goldberger · 2003
Data compression for storage of long-term ECGs is increasingly common, due to the recent introduction of devices which perform the functions of Holter ECG recorders using solid-state memory rather than tape. Often, the quality of compressed ECGs obtained from these devices is poor. The authors present a method for evaluating ECG data compressors for clinical acceptibility and a case study in which they evaluate the turning-point recursive-improvement (TRIM) compressor developed by G.B. Moody et al. (1987). It is concluded that TRIM, when adjusted to produce a mean output rate of 200 bits per channel per second, does not measurably influence the accuracy of clinicians' diagnoses with respect to cardiac rhythm or conduction. The evaluation methodology is general and suitable for standardized testing of ECG data compressors.>