METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ECTOPIC BEAT DETECTION

• US 20100099995A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Muessig, Dirk, LIAN, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/515
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371

Abstract

Heart monitor for detecting ectopic beats in an input electrocardiogram signal that includes an electrocardiogram signal input and a morphological signal analyzer connected to the electrocardiogram signal input, the analyzer being adapted to generate a first time series of values representing the input electrocardiogram signal, a second signal analyzer adapted to generate generating a modified time series of values representing a trend of values of the first time series and a comparison stage being adapted to compare the first time series with the modified time series to thus detect ectopic beats. The invention further relates to a method for detecting ectopic beats in an input electrocardiogram signal that includes obtaining an electrocardiogram signal, generating from the electrocardiogram signal a first time series of values representing the input electrocardiogram signal, generating a modified time series of values representing a trend of values of the first time series and comparing the first time series with the modified time series to thus detect ectopic beats.

Claims

1. A heart monitor for detecting ectopic beats in an input electrocardiogram signal comprising:

an electrocardiogram signal input;

a first signal analyzer connected to said electrocardiogram signal input, said first signal analyzer adapted to generate a first time series of values that represent an input electrocardiogram signal;

a second signal analyzer adapted to generate a modified time series of values that represent a trend of values of said first time series; and

,

a comparison stage adapted to compare said first time series with said modified time series to thus detect ectopic beats.

2. The heart monitor of claim 1,

wherein said first signal analyzer is adapted to generate a time series of values that represent QRS metrics, wherein each value of said time series represents at least one of the QRS metrics, including but not limited to, a width of a QRS complex, a positive or negative peak amplitude of the QRS complex, an absolute area under the QRS complex, maximum positive or negative slopes of the QRS complex, a dominant frequency component of the QRS complex, complexity measures of the QRS complex;

and,

wherein said second signal analyzer is adapted to apply morphological operators to the time series of values that represent QRS metrics and to remove abnormal QRS metrics from said time series of values that represent QRS metrics to thus derive said modified time series that represent a trend of said QRS metrics.

3. The heart monitor of claim 1,

wherein said first signal analyzer is adapted to generate the first time series of values that represent each duration of a respective measured RR interval;

wherein said second signal analyzer is adapted to apply morphological operators to said first time series of values that represent each duration of the respective measured RR-interval and to remove abnormal RR intervals from said first time series of values that represent each duration of the respective measured RR-interval, to thus derive the modified time series of RR-intervals that represent a trend of RR intervals.

4. The heart monitor of claim 2 wherein said comparison stage is adapted to subtract said first time series from said modified time series and to thus generate difference signal values and detect abnormal RR intervals or the QRS metrics through comparison of said difference signal values to at least one threshold value.

5. The heart monitor of claim 2 wherein said comparison stage is adapted to generate a series of ratio values by dividing each value of said first time series by an associated value of said modified time series and to compare each ratio value thus derived with at least one threshold value.

6. The heart monitor of claim 4 wherein said comparison stage is adapted to generate both the difference signal values and adapted to generate a series of ratio values by dividing each value of said first time series by an associated value of said modified time series and to compare each difference signal value to at least one threshold value and to compare each ratio value with another at least one threshold value.

7. The heart monitor of claim 1 wherein said the second signal analyzer is adapted to generate said modified time series through application of both an opening operator and a closing operator to said first time series to thus obtain said modified time series of values that represent the trend of values of said first time series.

8. The heart monitor of claim 7, wherein said the second signal analyzer is adapted to generate said modified time series by applying an erosion operator followed by a dilation operator that together form the opening operator to suppress peaks in the first time series.

9. The heart monitor of claim 7 wherein the second signal analyzer is adapted to generate said modified time series by applying a dilation operator followed by an erosion operator that together form the closing operator to suppress pits in the first time series.

10. The heart monitor of claim 1 further comprising a third signal analyzer that is adapted to detect multiple cycles of consecutive short RR intervals or multiple cycles of consecutive long RR intervals or both.

11. The heart monitor of claim 1 further comprising an implantable device for subcutaneous ECG monitoring.

12. A method for detecting ectopic beats in an input electrocardiogram signal comprising:

obtaining an electrocardiogram signal;

generating from said electrocardiogram signal a first time series of values that represent said input electrocardiogram signal;

generating a modified time series of values that represent a trend of values of said first time series; and

,

comparing said first time series with said modified time series to thus detect ectopic beats.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein said generating from said electrocardiogram signal said first time series comprises generating a time series of values that represent QRS metrics from said first time series, wherein each value of said time series represents at least one of the QRS metrics, including but not limited to, a width of a QRS complex, a positive or negative peak amplitude of the QRS complex, an absolute area under the QRS complex, maximum positive or negative slopes of the QRS complex, a dominant frequency component of the QRS complex, complexity measures of the QRS complex;

and,

wherein said generating said modified time series comprises applying morphological operators to the time series of values that represent QRS metrics and removing abnormal QRS metrics from said time series of values that represent QRS metrics to thus derive said modified time series that represent a trend of said QRS metrics.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein said generating from said electrocardiogram signal said first time series comprises

generating a time series of measured RR-intervals having values that represent each

duration of a respective measured RR interval;

wherein said generating said modified time series comprises

applying morphological operators to the time series of measured RR-intervals; and

,

removing abnormal RR intervals from said time series of measured RR intervals to thus derive said modified time series of RR-intervals that represent a trend of RR intervals.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said comparing said first time series with said modified time series comprises subtracting said first time series from said modified time series to thus generate difference signal values and detecting abnormal RR intervals or QRS metrics by comparing said difference signal values to at least one threshold value.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said comparing said first time series with said modified time series comprises generating a series of ratio values by dividing each value of said first time series by an associated value of said modified time series and comparing each ratio value thus derived with at least one threshold value.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said comparing said first time series with said modified time series comprises generating both said difference signal values and wherein said comparing said first time series with said modified time series further comprises generating a series of ratio values by dividing each value of said first time series by an associated value of said modified time series and comparing each difference signal value to at least one threshold value and comparing each ratio value with another at least one threshold value.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of generating said modified time series comprises applying both, an opening operator and a closing operator to said first time series to thus obtain said modified time series of values that represent the trend of values of said first time series.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said generating said modified time series comprises applying an erosion operator followed by a dilation operator that together form the opening operator to suppress peaks in said first time series.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said generating said modified time series comprises applying a dilation operator followed by an erosion operator that together form the closing operator to suppress pits in the first time series.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising processing the trend of values of the first time series to detect multiple cycles of consecutive short RR intervals or multiple cycles of consecutive long RR intervals or both.