It is quite hard to improve on Pan-Tompkins. Having taken the class from Professor Tompkins, he would encourage us to try to improve on it, but no one in our class could beat it in a significant way. Given the algorithm's computational efficiency, there would be little reason to use other methods, except in rare applications. Perhaps highly irregular beats or artifacts from a pacemaker would give your reason to look for a different QRS detection method.

Here is a paper relevant to the topic that tests 3 real-time QRS detection methods:

Portet F, Hernández AI, Carrault DG. Evaluation of real-time QRS detection algorithms in variable contexts. Med Biol Eng Comput 2005; 43: 379–85.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02345816

It is quite hard to improve on Pan-Tompkins. Having taken the class from Professor Tompkins, he would encourage us to try to improve on it, but no one in our class could beat it in a significant way. Given the algorithm's computational efficiency, there would be little reason to use other methods, except in rare applications. Perhaps highly irregular beats or artifacts from a pacemaker would give your reason to look for a different QRS detection method.

Here is a paper relevant to the topic that tests 3 real-time QRS detection methods:

Portet F, Hernández AI, Carrault DG. Evaluation of real-time QRS detection algorithms in variable contexts. Med Biol Eng Comput 2005; 43: 379–85.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02345816

I agree with Thomas Richner that is is quite hard to improve on Pan-Tompkins.

Having said that I have used the MIT- BIH database to show that the 'best' bandpass filter to improve SNR for QRS detection as one with centre frequency=19Hz and bandwidth of 9 Hz. Please see...

“Optimal frequency and bandwidth for FIR bandpass filter for QRS Detection”, F.S. Schlindwein, A.C. Yi, T. Edwards and I.C.H. Bien, MEDSIP 2006, The 3rd International Conference on Medical Signal and Information Processing, Glasgow, UK, 17-19 July, 2006.

http://www.le.ac.uk/engineering/fss1/MEDSIP2006_Schlindwein_17_May_2006.pdf

Dear Carlos Alberto,

I agree with the suggestion given by Thomas Richner about the technique described in Med Biol Eng & Comput, 2005

Pan-Tompkins algorithm is the most accurate filtering process till date to extract QRS from adult ECG. However, you need to customise it to use with neonatal ECG. I have tried wavelets, but its is of low efficiency.

For neonatal ECG I suggest to start by increasing the centre frequency of the low-pass filter from 17 Hz up to 25 Hz.