METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING INFORMATION CONCERNING THE IDENTITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL

• US 20100145202A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelesens Limited (UltraLinq Healthcare Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sensor Technology and Devices Ltd.
• Inventors: Anderson, John McCune, Mclaughlin, James Andrew, Kearney, Kenneth Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/10 by analysing the shape of a waveform, e.g. extracting parameters relating to peaks

Abstract

A method of determining information concerning the identity of an individual comprising measuring at least one biometric of the individual comprising at least one bio-potential waveform generated by the individual'"'"'s heart, extracting a plurality of characteristics from the bio-potential waveform comprising any of an approximate location of a point of a P peak, an approximate location of a Q-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an R-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an S-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of a point of a T peak, using the characteristics to calculate at least one waveform parameter, comparing at least one calculated waveform parameter with at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a score, and using the score to determine information concerning the identity of the individual.

Claims

1. A method of determining information concerning the identity of an individual comprising, the method comprising:

measuring at least one biometric of the individual comprising at least one bio-potential waveform generated by the individual'"'"'s heart,

extracting a plurality of characteristics from the bio-potential waveform comprising any of an approximate location of a point of a P peak, an approximate location of a Q-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an R-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an S-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of a point of a T peak,

using the characteristics to calculate at least one waveform parameter comprising any of an approximate location of an R-point minus an approximate location of a mid-point of a P peak, an approximate location of a mid-point of a T peak minus an approximate location of an R-point, an approximate location of an S-point minus an approximate location of an R-point, an approximate location of an R-point minus an approximate location of a Q-point, (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a T peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a P peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at a Q-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a P peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at a Q-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point),

comparing at least one calculated waveform parameter with at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a score, and

using the score to determine information concerning the identity of the individual.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the characteristics of the bio-potential waveform further comprise any of an approximate location of a mid-point of a P peak, an approximate location of a start-point of a P peak, an approximate location of an end-point of a P peak, an approximate location of a mid-point of a T peak, an approximate location of a start-point of a T peak, an approximate location of a start-point of a T peak, an interval between characteristics, an area of a peak, a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of a peak, a slope of a peak, a rise-time of a peak, a fall-time of a peak, a reflection of a peak, a DC off-set of the waveform, a drift of the waveform, a signal to noise ratio of the waveform, an artefact of the waveform.

3. A method according to claim 1 in which the at least one calculated waveform parameter is compared with a plurality of previously-acquired waveform parameters of an individual to generate a score.

4. A method according to claim 1 in which the at least one calculated waveform parameter is compared with a plurality of previously-acquired waveform parameters of one or more of a plurality of individuals to generate a score.

5. A method according to claim 4 in which the at least one calculated waveform parameter is compared with a plurality of previously-acquired waveform parameters of a first individual to generate a score, and a second individual to generate a score, etc., as necessary until a match is found between the individual and one of the plurality of individuals.

6. A method according to claim 1 in which using the score comprises comparing the score with a pre-set score threshold to determine information concerning the individual.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which a plurality of waveform parameters are calculated, and using the score comprises summing the scores for the waveform parameters, and comparing the aggregate score with a pre-set score threshold to determine information concerning the individual.

8. A method according to claim 1 in which a plurality of waveform parameters are calculated, and the method comprises comparing a first calculated waveform parameter with at least one corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a first score and using the first score to determine information concerning the individual, assessing the determined information, and if the determined information matches required information, terminating the method, or if the determined information does not match required information, comparing a second calculated waveform parameter with at least one corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a second score and using the second score to determine information concerning the individual, or using the first and second scores to determine information concerning the individual, and continuing until either the determined information matches required information or each of the waveform parameters has been used.

9. A method according to claim 1 in which the at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter has been obtained from a previously-acquired heart bio-potential biometric of the individual, and sing the score determines that the individual is the individual who provided the at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter.

10. A method according to claim 1 in which the at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter has been obtained from a previously-acquired heart bio-potential biometric of a register individual, and using the score determines that the individual is the register individual or is not the register individual.

11. A method according to claim 1 in which at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter has been obtained from each of a plurality of previously-acquired heart bio-potential biometrics of a plurality of register individuals, and using the score determines that the individual is one of the register individuals or is not one of the register individuals.

12. A method according to claim 1 in which for at least one calculated waveform parameter, the method comprises determining a median of a plurality of calculations of the waveform parameter, and comparing the median of the at least one waveform parameter with at least one corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a score.

13. A method according to claim 1 in which for the or each calculated waveform parameter, the method comprises determining a median of a plurality of calculations of the waveform parameter, and comparing the median of the or each waveform parameter with a plurality of corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameters to determine a score, by calculating the difference between the median of the calculated waveform parameter and the mean of the plurality of corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameters and dividing the result by the standard deviation of the plurality of corresponding previously-acquired waveform parameters.

16. A ECG acquisition/analysis device comprising an identification apparatus according to claim 1.

17. A tracking device comprising an identification apparatus according to claim 1.

14. An identification apparatus for determining information concerning the identity of an individual, the identification apparatus comprising:

a measurement device which measures at least one biometric of the individual comprising at least one bio-potential waveform generated by the individual'"'"'s heart, and

an analysis system comprising an analysis device which analyses the bio-potential waveform to extract a plurality of characteristics from the bio-potential waveform comprising any of an. approximate location of a point of a P peak, an approximate location of a Q-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an R-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of an S-point of a QRS peak system, an approximate location of a point of a T peak,

a calculation device which uses the characteristics to calculate at least one waveform parameter comprising any of an approximate location of an R-point minus an approximate location of a mid-point of a P peak, an approximate location of a mid-point of a T peak minus an approximate location of an R-point, an approximate location of an S-point minus an approximate location of an R-point, an approximate location of an R-point minus an approximate location of a Q-point, (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a T peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a P peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at a Q-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an approximate mid-point of a P peak minus an amplitude at an R-point), (an amplitude at a Q-point minus an amplitude at an R-point) divided by (an amplitude at an S-point minus an amplitude at an R-point),

a comparator which compares at least one calculated waveform parameter with at least one previously-acquired waveform parameter to generate a score, and uses the score to determine information concerning the identity of the individual.

15. The identification apparatus of claim 14 in which the measurement device comprises two electrodes, a first electrode adapted to be placed in contact with a first portion of the individual, and a second electrode adapted to be placed in contact with a second portion of the individual.