System for, and method of, monitoring heartbeats of a patient

• US 20060129052A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signalife Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Signalife Incorporated
• Inventors: Drakulic, Budimir
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/923 by comparison of patient data to other data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/924 using artificial intelligence

Abstract

A heart monitor acquires signals representing a patient'"'"'s heart characteristics. The signals are amplified without affecting the original signal characteristics. The heartbeat signals with unusual characteristics are then transmitted to a processing station. The station also contains, in a pattern recognition platform, the patient'"'"'s previously generated heartbeat signals. The station compares the signals with unusual characteristics and the patient'"'"'s previously generated signals and selects the previously generated signals closest in characteristics to the signals with the unusual characteristics. A comparator then compares the selected signals and database signals indicating different types of heart problems in third parties and selects the database signals closest in characteristics to the selected signals previously generated by the patient. Dependent upon the patient'"'"'s heart problem severity indicated by the characteristics of the selected database signals), the monitor transmits the selected database signals to (a) the patient'"'"'s doctor, (b) the patient'"'"'s hospital or (c) an emergency number (e.g. 911).

Claims

1. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:

providing signals indicating characteristics of a patient'"'"'s present heartbeats,

providing signals indicating characteristics of previous heartbeats of the patient,

comparing characteristics of the patient'"'"'s present and previous heartbeats to select one of the patient'"'"'s previous heartbeats closest in characteristics to the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s present heartbeats,

providing heartbeats of third parties, each of the heartbeats being indicative of a normal heartbeat or of a heart problem different from heart problems indicated by other heartbeats of the third parties, and

comparing the selected one of the patient'"'"'s previous heartbeats and the heartbeats of the third parties to select one of the heartbeats of the third parties closest in characteristics to the characteristics of the selected one of the patient'"'"'s previous heartbeats.

2. In a method as set forth in claim 1, the step of:

selecting a course of action dependent upon the characteristics of the selected one of the heartbeats of the third parties.

3. In a method as set forth in claim 2, the step of:

dependent upon the characteristics of the selected one of the heartbeats of the third parties, submitting the selected one of the heartbeats to (a) a doctor for analysis of the selected one of the heartbeats of the third parties, (b) a hospital for analysis of the selected one of the heartbeats of the third parties and (c) an emergency organization for emergency action on the patient.

4. In a method as set forth in claim 1 wherein

each heartbeat includes a plurality of signal portions separated from one another in time and wherein

the signal portions are analyzed from the standpoint of their amplitudes, waveforms, time durations and time separations from one another to determine the characteristics of the heartbeats.

5. In a method as set forth in claim 2 wherein

dependent upon the characteristics of the selected one of the heartbeats of the third parties, submitting the selected one of the heartbeats to (a) a doctor for analysis of the selected one of the heartbeats, (b) a hospital for analysis of the selected one of the heartbeats and (c) an emergency organization for emergency action on the patient.

6. In a method as set forth in claim 3 wherein

each heartbeat includes a plurality of signal portions separated from one another in time and wherein

the signal portions are analyzed from the standpoint of their amplitudes, waveforms, time durations and time separations from one another to determine the characteristics of the heartbeats.

7. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:

providing signals having characteristics indicating the heartbeat of the patient,

providing signals indicating heartbeats of third parties where the signals individually having characteristics indicate heartbeats from normal hearts or from hearts with different types of heart problems, and

comparing the signals indicating the characteristics of the heartbeats of the patient and the signals having characteristics indicating heartbeats of the third parties to determine heart problems, if any, of the patient.

8. In a method as set forth in claim 7, the step of:

submitting the determinations of the heart problems, if any, of the patient to different types of medical personnel dependent upon the severity of the heart problem.

9. In a method as set forth in claim 8 wherein

the different types of medical personnel include (a) doctors, (b) hospital personnel and (c) emergency personnel.

10. In a method as set forth in claim 7 wherein

the signals having characteristics indicating the heartbeats of the patient are obtained by selecting atypical heartbeats of the patient for comparison with the signals having characteristics indicating heartbeats of third parties.

11. In a method as set forth in claim 8 wherein

the different types of medical personnel include (a) doctors, (b) hospital personnel and (c) emergency personnel and wherein,

the signals indicating the heartbeats of the patient are obtained by selecting atypical heartbeats of the patient for comparison with the signals having characteristics indicating the heartbeats of the third parties.

12. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heartbeat, the steps of:

disposing a heart monitor on an ambulatory patient to obtain the production of signals having characteristics indicating heartbeats of the patient,

amplifying the heartbeat signals of the patient without the production of noise and without changes in the characteristics of the heartbeat signals,

providing a server displaced from the patient,

transmitting the amplified heartbeat signals to the server,

providing a database of heartbeat signals of third parties where the heartbeat signals have characteristics individually indicating heartbeats from normal hearts or from hearts with different types of heart problems,

providing a comparison of the amplified heartbeat signals from the patient and the heartbeat signals from the database to select from the database heartbeat signals having characteristics most closely matching the characteristics of the heartbeat signals from the patient, and

transmitting the selected one of the heartbeat signals from the database to a displaced position, dependent upon the characteristics of the heartbeat signals selected from the database, to obtain an analysis of the heart problems represented by the characteristics of the selected heartbeat signals from the database.

13. In a method as set forth in claim 12 wherein

the amplification of the heartbeat signals at the patient is provided by an amplifier with an input impedance approaching infinity and with a low output impedance.

14. In a method as set forth in claim 12 wherein

the transmission of the heartbeat signals of the patient to the server is provided by a Bluetooth stage and by a personal digital assistant (PDA).

15. In a method as set forth in claim 12 wherein

the signals indicating the heartbeat of the patient are obtained from atypical signals different from a sequence of typical signals.

16. In a method as set forth in claim 12 wherein

the atypical heartbeat signals have successive signal portions with positive and negative amplitudes and with particular time durations and particular waveforms and wherein determinations are made of the area and time durations of the successive signal portions in the atypical heartbeat signals and wherein the determinations of the heartbeat signals of the patient are compared with the determinations of the heartbeat signals at the database to select the database heartbeat signals having characteristics most closely matching the characteristics of the heartbeat signals of the patient.

17. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heartbeat, the steps of:

applying a heart monitor to an ambulatory patient to obtain the production of signals indicating heartbeats of the patient,

amplifying the heartbeat signals of the patient without generating noise and without affecting the characteristics of the heartbeat signals,

transmitting the amplified heartbeat signals to a position displaced from the patient, and

determining at the displaced position the characteristics of the amplified heartbeat signals from the standpoint of problems, if any, in the patient'"'"'s heart.

18. In a method as set forth in claim 17 wherein

the characteristics of the amplified heartbeat signals from the patient are compared with the characteristics of heartbeat signals generally indicating different heartbeat problems in third parties to determine individual problems, if any, in the patient'"'"'s heartbeats.

19. In a method as set forth in claim 17 wherein

a communication is provided to individual ones of a plurality of heartbeat specialists dependent upon the individual problems, if any, in the patient'"'"'s heart.

20. In a method as set forth in claim 18 wherein

the heartbeat signals being compared with the amplified heartbeat signals of the patient are obtained from a database containing heartbeat signals from third parties with individual and recognized heart problems.

21. In a method as set forth in claim 19 wherein

the heartbeat specialists receiving the communication include a doctor, a hospital and emergency care.

22. In a method as set forth in claim 18 wherein

different problems in patients are indicated by individual problems, if any, in the patient'"'"'s heart and wherein

a communication is provided to individual ones of a plurality of heartbeat specialists dependent upon the individual problems, if any, in the patient'"'"'s heart and wherein

the heartbeat signals being compared with the amplified heartbeat signals of the patient are obtained from a database containing heartbeat signals from third parties with individual and recognized heart problems and wherein

the heartbeat specialists receiving the communication include a doctor, a hospital and specialists providing emergency care.

35. In a method as set forth in claim 21,

depending upon the characteristics of the signals selected from the database, transmitting the signals to (a) the patient'"'"'s doctor, (b) the patient'"'"'s hospital and (c) emergency location to obtain a determination of the problems, if any, with the patient'"'"'s heart, and

providing successive signals with similar characteristics from the patient'"'"'s heart and providing atypical signals from the successive signals of similar characteristics to provide for the introduction of the atypical signals to the amplifier.

23. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:

applying a heart monitor to an ambulatory patient to obtain the production of signals indicating the heartbeat of the patient,

selecting heartbeat signals of the patient with atypical characteristics,

amplifying the selected heartbeat signals to provide amplified heartbeat signals with the characteristics of the selected heartbeat signals and without the generation of noise signals,

providing heartbeat signals in a database containing heartbeat signals from third parties with individual and identifiable heart problems,

comparing the amplified heartbeat signals with the heartbeat signals from the database to obtain the database heartbeat signals with characteristics closest to the selected heartbeat signals of the patient.

24. In a method as set forth in claim 23, the steps of:

providing a processing station which includes heartbeat signals previously generated by the patient,

comparing the characteristics of the selected heartbeat signals with the characteristics of the heartbeat signals from the processing station to select, from the processing station, signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals,

providing a data base of heartbeat signals with different heart problems from third parties, and

comparing the characteristics of the heartbeat signals obtained from the processing station and the database to obtain the database heartbeat signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals.

25. In a method as set forth in claim 24, the step of:

depending upon the seriousness of the patient'"'"'s heart problems, if any, indicated by the selected database heartbeat signals, communicating the selected database heartbeat signals, to an individual one of the patient'"'"'s doctor, the patient'"'"'s hospital and emergency care specialists.

26. In a method as set forth in claim 23 wherein

the heartbeat signals from the patient and the database have successive portions, each having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the adjacent portions and each having an individual time duration and an individual wave shape and an individual peak amplitude and wherein

a comparison is made of the polarity, time duration, peak amplitude and wave shape characteristics between the portions in the selected heartbeat signals of the patient and the corresponding portions in the database heartbeat signals to obtain the database heartbeat signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals of the patient.

27. In a method as set forth in claim 26 wherein

the heartbeat signals from the patient and the database have successive portions each having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the adjacent portion and each having an individual time duration and an individual wave shape and an individual peak amplitude and wherein

a comparison is made of the polarity, time duration, peak amplitude and wave shape characteristics between the portions in the selected heartbeat signals of the patient and the corresponding portions in the database heartbeat signals to obtain the database heartbeat signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals of the patient.

28. In a method as set forth in claim 24 wherein

the heartbeat signals from the patient, the pattern recognition pattern and the database have successive portions each having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the adjacent portion and each having an individual time duration, an individual wave shape and an individual peak amplitude and wherein

a comparison is made of the polarity, time duration, peak amplitude and wave shape characteristics between the portions in the selected heartbeat signals of the patient and the corresponding portions in the processing station to obtain the signals in the processing station closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals in the patient and wherein

a comparison is made of the polarity, time duration, peak amplitude and wave shape characteristics between the portions in the database and the corresponding portions in the processing station closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals in the patient to obtain the database heartbeat signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals in the patient.

29. In a method set forth in claim 28 wherein

the heartbeat signals from the patient and the database have successive portions, each having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the adjacent portions and each having an individual time duration and an individual wave shape and an individual peak amplitude and wherein

a comparison is made of the polarity, time duration, peak amplitude and wave shape characteristics between the portions in the selected heartbeat signals of the patient and the corresponding portions in the database heartbeat signals to obtain the database heartbeat signals closest in characteristics to the selected heartbeat signals of the patient.

30. In combination for determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart,

a monitor constructed to be applied to the patient'"'"'s heart to produce signals representing characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart,

an amplifier operatively coupled to the monitor to amplify the signals from the monitor without introducing noise to the signals and without changing the characteristics of the signals,

a transmitter for transmitting the amplified signals to the comparator,

a database for holding a plurality of signals provided by third parties, each of the signals being operative to indicate an individual one of a plurality of different heart problems, and

a comparator responsive to the amplified signals and the signals from the database for selecting an individual one of the signals from the database closest in characteristics to the amplified signals.

31. In a combination as set forth in claim 30,

a processing station for providing signals previously provided by the patient to represent characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart, and

a pattern recognition platform responsive to the amplified signals and the signals from the processing station to select the signals from the processing station closest in characteristics to the characteristics of the amplified signals,

the comparator being responsive to the selected signals from the pattern recognition platform and the signals from the database for selecting an individual one of the signals from the database closest in characteristics to the selected signals from the pattern recognition platform.

32. In a combination as set forth in claim 30,

depending upon the characteristics of the signals selected from the database, the transmitter being operative to transmit the signals to (a) the patient'"'"'s doctor, (b) the patient'"'"'s hospital and (c) an emergency location to obtain a determination of the problems, if any, with the patient'"'"'s heart.

33. In a combination as set forth in claim 30,

providing successive signals with similar characteristics from the patient'"'"'s heart and providing atypical signals among the successive signals with similar characteristics and selecting the atypical signals from the successive signals of similar characteristics to provide for the introduction of the atypical signals to the amplifier.

34. In a combination as set forth in claim 30,

depending upon the characteristics of the signals selected from the database, the transmitter being operative to transmit the selected signals to (a) the patient'"'"'s doctor, (b) the patient'"'"'s hospital and (c) an emergency location to obtain a determination of the problems, if any, with the patient'"'"'s heart, and

the monitor providing successive signals with similar characteristics from the patient'"'"'s heart and providing atypical signals from the successive signals of similar characteristics to provide for the introduction of the atypical signals to the amplifier.

36. In combination for determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart,

a monitor constructed to be applied to the patient'"'"'s heart to produce signals representing characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart,

an amplifier operatively coupled to the monitor to amplify the signals from the monitor without introducing noise to the signals and without changing the characteristics of the signals,

a processing station for providing signals previously provided by the patient to represent characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart,

a pattern recognition platform responsive to the amplified signals and the signals from the processing station for selecting signals from the processing station closest in characteristics to the characteristics of the amplified signals, and

electrical circuitry for determining the heart problems, if any, of the patient from the signals selected from the processing station.

37. In a combination as set forth in claim 36 wherein

the amplifier provides typical signals having characteristics corresponding to signals normally provided by a patient with a normal heart and atypical signals different from the typical signals and wherein

the atypical signals are transmitted to the processing station for comparison with the signals from the processing station to select, from the processing station, the signals having characteristics closest to the atypical signals.

38. In a combination as set forth in claim 37 wherein

the typical signals are stored.

39. In a combination as set forth in claim 36 wherein

a database provides signals from third parties, the signals having characteristics indicating different types of heart problems in the third parties and wherein

a comparator compares the characteristics of the signals selected from the pattern recognition platform and the signals from the database and selects the signal from the database with characteristics closest to the characteristics of the signals selected from the pattern recognition platform.

40. In a combination as set froth in claim 39 wherein

a detector is operative upon the signals selected from the database to determine the severity of the heart problems, if any, of the patient and wherein

a transmitter transmits the selected signals to one of a plurality of third parties, dependent upon the severity of the heart problems, of any, if the patient, each of the third parties being informed of the heart problems for heart problems of an individual sensitivity.

41. In a combination as recited in claim 36 wherein

a personal digital assistant is responsive to the amplified signals to transmit the amplified signals to the server and wherein

the amplifier provide typical signals having characteristics corresponding to signals normally provided by a patient with a normal heart and atypical signals different from the typical signals and wherein

the atypical signals are transmitted to the server for comparison with the signals from the processing station to select, from the processing station, the signals having characteristics closest to the atypical signals and wherein

the typical signals from the personal digital assistant are stored and wherein

a detector is operative upon the signals selected from the database to determine the severity of the heart problems, if any, of the patient and wherein

a transmitter transmits the selected signals to one of a plurality of third parties, dependent upon the severity of the heart problems, if any, of the patient, each of the third parties being informed of the heart problems of the patient for heart problems of an individual severity.

42. In a method of determining characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:

providing signals indicating characteristics of a patient'"'"'s heart,

processing the signals to determine the severity of the problems, if any, of the patient'"'"'s heart, and

transmitting the signals to an individual one of a plurality of stations, dependent upon the severity of the heart problems, if any, in the patient.

43. In a method as set forth in claim 42, the step of

providing a doctor for the patient, a hospital for the patient and an emergency station for the patient, and transmitting the heart signals of the patient to an individual one of the doctor, the hospital and the emergency station dependent upon the severity of the heart problems, if any, of the patient.

44. In a method as set forth in claim 43 wherein

the transmitted signals are atypical from the signals normally provided by a patient with a normal heart.

45. In a method as set forth in claim 43 wherein

the atypical signals are compared with signals provided by a database and indicating heart characteristics of third parties where each of the signals in the database indicates an individual type of heart problem different from the heart problems indicated by the other signals in the database and wherein

the database signals closest in characteristics to the atypical signals of the patient are selected for analysis.

46. In a method as set forth in claim 43 wherein

the atypical signals are compared with signals provided from a pattern recognition pattern and constituting signals previously provided by the patient and wherein

the signals having characteristics closest in the pattern recognition platform to the characteristics of the atypical signals are selected.