Label-Efficient Deep Learning for ECG Delineation: A Multi-Dataset Benchmark against Widely Used Delineation Tools
This study addresses the reliance of ECG segmentation on costly expert annotations and the uncertain performance of existing tools by proposing a label-efficient deep learning framework. Methodologically, it systematically evaluates combination strategies of self-supervised pre-training and semi-supervised fine-tuning, benchmarking them against established tools such as NeuroKit2 across multiple datasets. The primary contribution lies in validating the effectiveness of these strategies for identifying ECG waveform boundaries, thereby providing empirical guidance for clinical model selection. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model comprehensively outperforms existing baselines across multiple evaluation metrics and datasets, exhibiting particularly significant advantages in scenarios characterized by diverse cardiac rhythms.