A Novel Feature Extraction Technique for ECG Arrhythmia Classification Using ML

Mohammad Mominur Rahman, Ashhadul Islam, Skander Charni, Halima Bensmail, Thomas Hilbel, Samir Brahim Belhaouari

Abstract: Feature extraction is the process of transforming raw data into features that are more relevant for machine learning algorithms. The goal of feature extraction is to find a set of features that can be used to accurately predict the target variable. The specific features that are extracted will depend on the specific application. For example, features that are extracted for the purpose of diagnosing arrhythmias will be different from the features that are extracted for the purpose of assessing myocardial infarction. A generalized new algorithm for feature extraction could be helpful for all complex feature extraction data sets. In this paper, we propose a random selection process to generate the required number of new features with the help of existing specific features of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. We have named this novel feature extraction method the Random Feature Explorer (RFE). The proposed method was tested and evaluated using Physio Net's MIT-BIH datasets. The results indicate that the suggested method achieved an accuracy of 99.79% in arrhythmia classification. We have made the source code for our proposed method available on GitHub for open access and reproducibility. The code can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3NnrH4A