FPGA-Based Implementation for Real-Time Epileptic EEG Classification Using Hjorth Descriptor and KNN

The EEG is one of the main medical instruments used by clinicians in the analysis and diagnosis of epilepsy through visual observations or computers. Visual inspection is difficult, time-consuming, and cannot be conducted in real time. Therefore, we propose a digital system for the classification of epileptic EEG in real time on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The implemented digital system comprised a communication interface, feature extraction, and classifier model functions. The Hjorth descriptor method was used for feature extraction of activity, mobility, and complexity, with KNN was utilized as a predictor in the classification stage. The proposed system, run on a The Zynq-7000 FPGA device, can generate up to 90.74% accuracy in normal, inter-ictal, and ictal EEG classifications. FPGA devices provided classification results within 0.015 s. The total memory LUT resource used was less than 10%. This system is expected to tackle problems in visual inspection and computer processing to help detect epileptic EEG using low-cost resources while retaining high performance and real-time implementation.