In a groundbreaking development, a new technology from the University of Mississippi promises to revolutionize heart attack detection. It offers real-time monitoring that is faster and more accurate than traditional methods. Developed in the lab of Kasem Khalil, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, this technology could be a game-changer in the fight against heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. This could change how heart attacks are detected and treated.
The study is published in the Intelligent Systems, Blockchain, and Communication Technologies journal. It outlines how the innovative technology can detect heart attacks in real-time. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are used as a key tool to identify the electrical signals of the heart. Khalil’s team used artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced mathematics to create a lightweight and highly accurate device. This device is portable and energy-efficient. It is suitable to be embedded in wearable devices like watches or health monitors.
FASTER DETECTION FOR CRITICAL HEART ATTACKS
Heart disease, which leads to a heart attack every 40 seconds in the U.S., demands fast diagnosis and treatment. Khalil’s technology, which is up to two times faster than current detection methods, offers a critical advantage: speed. The quicker the heart attack is identified, the sooner the patient can receive life-saving care.
“For this issue, a few minutes can make all the difference in preventing further damage to the heart,” said Kasem Khalil. “Even a few extra seconds can be crucial.” Despite the speed, the technology remains highly accurate, boasting a 92.4% accuracy rate – an improvement over many existing heart attack detection methods.
PORTABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
Khalil’s team focused on speed and accuracy. They also made the technology lightweight and cost-effective. This ensures that it can be used by anyone, anywhere. The device is small enough to be embedded in wearable gadgets. This makes it accessible for individuals in everyday settings. They can use it outside of medical facilities.
This is portable hardware. It can be in wearable or monitoring devices,” said Tamador Mohaidat. She is a doctoral student in Khalil’s lab and co-author of the publication. “This method will save lives because we can monitor the heart for heart attack in real-time.”
Mohaidat, along with Md. Rahat Kader Khan, who worked on the software development, emphasized the holistic approach taken in the lab. “We focus on all aspects of the technology. This includes both hardware and software. Our goal is to optimize the overall system,” said Kader Khan, a second-year computer engineering graduate student.
REAL-TIME HEART MONITORING FOR FASTER CARE
Current heart attack detection methods often require patients to visit a medical facility. They may need an ECG or blood tests, which can be time-consuming. This is especially true in emergency situations. However, with this new technology, the goal is to streamline the process. Wearable devices like smartwatches or smartphones could enable real-time detection. This drastically reduces diagnosis time, helping promptly if a heart attack occurs. It ensures patients get the right treatment more quickly.
“A patient having a heart attack needs treatment quickly. The sooner you treat them, the less likely they will have permanent damage,” said Khalil. “There’s a huge time-sensitive element to heart attacks.”
EXPANDING POTENTIAL BEYOND HEART ATTACKS
The primary focus of the current technology is heart attack detection. However, Khalil and his team are already considering the broader potential applications. “We want to be able to predict or identify many problems using technology like this,” Khalil explained. The technology could be adapted to detect conditions such as seizures or dementia. It could also detect other critical health issues that benefit from early intervention.
A STEP TOWARD A HEALTHIER FUTURE
As heart disease continues to claim lives at an alarming rate, innovations like Khalil’s AI-powered heart attack detection technology could play a significant role in saving lives and improving patient outcomes. By integrating this technology into wearable devices, healthcare professionals could gain a powerful tool to detect heart attacks in real-time, enabling quicker responses and better care for patients in distress.
With ongoing developments and real-world applications, this technology could soon become a vital part of personal health monitoring. Khalil and his team are committed to speed, accuracy, and accessibility. This commitment could pave the way for smarter and more efficient technology that not only detects but also prevents many heart attacks. Such technology saves lives when every second counts.
