Handling of Ectopic Beats in Heart Rate Variability Analysis Using the Heart Timing Signal

The problem of analyzing heart rate variability in the presence of ectopic beats is revisited. Based on the IPFM model and the closely related heart timing signal, a new technique is introduced which corrects for the occasional presence of such beats. The correction technique, which involves the occurrence times of a certain number of beats preceding the ectopic, is computationally very efficient. Based on actual heart rate data, the results suggest that the power spectrum, and related clinical indices, are more accurately estimated.