Method and apparatus for electrophysiological and hemodynamic real-time assessment of cardiovascular fitness of a user

• US 20050124901A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dale Julian Misczynski, Vladislav Bukhman
• Original Assignee: Dale Julian Misczynski, Vladislav Bukhman
• Inventors: Bukhman, Vladislav, Misczynski, Dale Julian
• Application Number:
  US10/990,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for real-time assessment of one or more electrical and one or more hemodynamic parameters for the evaluation of cardiovascular fitness. The invention comprises simultaneous analysis of electrical (ECG) and hemodynamic (Impedance Cardiogram—ICG) activities of the heart by evaluating said activities using characteristic points detection method. These points are used for the calculation of electrophysiological parameters such as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) and obtaining the data needed for calculation of hemodynamic parameters such as stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO). The characteristic points detection method significantly improves tolerance to noise and artifacts associated with body movements, thereby enabling the user to assess his/her cardiovascular fitness while being evaluated.

Claims

1. A method of assessing the cardiovascular fitness of a user, comprising:

a) Placing a plurality of electrodes on said user'"'"'s torso;

b) Applying a current to said torso using at least one of said electrodes;

c) Acquiring an ECG using at least one of said electrodes;

d) Acquiring an ICG using at least one of said electrodes;

e) Identifying one or more characteristic points on said ECG;

f) Identifying one or more characteristic points on said ICG;

g) Measuring parameters using at least one of said one or more characteristic points on said ECG; and

h) Measuring parameters using at least one of said one or more characteristic points on said ICG.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of electrodes comprises two sensing electrodes positioned substantially parallel to the subclavian artery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said sensing electrodes are placed in a stretchable strap.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said sensing electrodes acquire an ECG and an ICG.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of electrodes comprise two electrodes for providing alternating current.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said two electrodes for providing alternating current are placed in a stretchable strap.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying one or more characteristic points on said ECG entails identifying at least one of the following points:

R, Q, S, J, T and T_e.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying one or more characteristic points on said ICG entails identifying at least one of the following points:

B, C and X.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said point B is substantially equal to ECG point J.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said point X is substantially equal to ECG point T_e.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein points J and T_e are used for LVET calculation.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said point C is approximately the peak point of said ICG within time interval [J, T_e] and further wherein said point C defines

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said detection of said point C comprises calculation of noise level, rejection of undetectable events of impedance change, ensemble averaging process and 5-points triangular smoothing process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said valuation of noise level is performed using the formula:

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said event of impedance change is considered undetectable if:

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said ensemble averaging process is performed using n number of consecutive [B, X] intervals, where n is derived from iterative filtering and smoothing algorithm.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said iterative filtering and smoothing algorithm uses the threshold signal-to-noise ratio, N, and the threshold number, M, of permissible consecutive intervals, n.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring parameters using at least one of said one or more characteristic points on said ECG;

and further wherein said step of measuring parameters using at least one of said one or more characteristic points on said ICG yields at least one of the following;

heart rate, heart rate variability, stroke volume and cardiac output.

19. The method of claim 19, wherein said stroke volume is calculated using: