NIT-Rourkela Designs Breakthrough ECG Lead System For Enhanced Diagnosis Of Atrial Arrhythmias

Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela have developed an effective upgrade to electrocardiography (ECG), one of the most commonly-used techniques to monitor heart activity, according to officials.

- Press Trust Of India

The new system helps easily detect subtle electrical signals from the upper chambers of the heart, which are often too indistinct to be seen clearly in regular ECGs. These signals play a key role in identifying abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to serious conditions, such as atrial fibrillation that can further lead to a stroke, they said.

Atrial arrhythmias are irregular heart rhythms originating from the heart's upper chambers (atria).

The research has been published in international journals "Biomedical Signal Processing and Control", "Medical Hypotheses" and "Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine".

The NIT team has also filed a patent application for the Atrial Lead System (ALS). The project has received financial backing from the government's Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

According to J Sivaraman, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, NIT-Rourkela, irregular heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, are responsible for a large number of cardiac-related deaths around the world.