Exploring the Power of PPG Matrix for Atrial Fibrillation Detection with Integrated Explainability

Published in Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 2023

Recommended citation: Fuster-Barceló, C., Guerrero-López, A., Camara, C., & Peris-Lopez, P. (2024). Exploring the power of photoplethysmogram matrix for atrial fibrillation detection with integrated explainability. *Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence*, 133, 108325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2024.108325

Exploring the Power of PPG Matrix for Atrial Fibrillation Detection with Integrated Explainability

Published in: Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence


🧠 Summary

This study introduces a novel explainable framework for atrial fibrillation (AF) detection using Photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals. The key innovation lies in converting PPG data into PhotoplethysmoMatrices (PPMs)—heatmap-like visualizations of aligned cardiac peaks—and applying a CNN with attention modules for classification.


🧪 Results

  • Achieved 100% classification accuracy across multiple experiments.
  • Incorporated attention mechanisms for enhanced model interpretability.
  • Showed robustness across variations in user counts and training sets.
  • Highlighted spatial peak shifts as key indicators of AF.

📘 Why It Matters

  • Offers non-invasive, interpretable, and high-performing AF detection.
  • Bridges signal processing, image transformation, and XAI for clinical diagnostics.
  • Suitable for future clinical integration due to simplicity and transparency.

📚 Access