Analysis of Direct and Indirect Heartbeat Data Variations

• US 20150201859A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Steven D., Petersen, Eric Glen
• Granted Patent: US 9,943,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval

Abstract

One method for measuring variability between direct heartbeat data and indirect heartbeat data includes: receiving first heartbeat data from an electrocardiogram over a period of time; receiving second heartbeat data from an indirect measure of heartbeat data over at least a portion of the period of time; calculating, by a computing device, a difference between the first heartbeat data and the second heartbeat data; and comparing the difference to determine a variation.

Claims

1. A method for measuring variability between direct heartbeat data and indirect heartbeat data, the method comprising:

receiving first heartbeat data from an electrocardiogram over a period of time;

receiving second heartbeat data from an indirect measure of heartbeat data over at least a portion of the period of time;

calculating, by a computing device, a difference between the first heartbeat data and the second heartbeat data; and

comparing the difference to determine a variation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the difference over time to estimate an elasticity of arteries of an individual.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

plotting graphical representations of beat-to-beat differences;

performing measurements at different conditions; and

determining more or less variance based upon the different conditions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor to provide the indirect measure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a pressure sensor to provide the indirect measure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting subsets of the first heartbeat data and subsets of the second heartbeat data;

performing a spectral analysis of the selected heartbeat data; and

presenting the spectral analysis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the spectral analysis is presented in near real-time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the selecting subsets includes selecting a better signal from between the first heartbeat data and the second heartbeat data.

9. A method of displaying heart rate variability, the method comprising:

receiving first heartbeat data from an electrocardiogram over a period of time;

receiving second heartbeat data from an indirect measure of heartbeat data over at least a portion of the period of time;

selecting a better signal from between the first heartbeat data and the second heartbeat data;

calculating, by a computing device, a measure of the variance in heartbeat intervals in the better signal; and

displaying the heart rate variability data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using a pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor to provide the indirect measure.

11. The method of claim 9, where differences in the variance of the first heartbeat data and the second heartbeat data are analyzed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second heartbeat data is used to qualify normal beats in the first heartbeat data.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

computing beat-to-beat intervals in the better signal to produce a tachygram;

performing a spectral analysis of the tachygram; and

presenting the spectral analysis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the spectral analysis is presented in near real-time.

15. A method of displaying heart rate variability, the method comprising:

receiving heartbeat data from a pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor;

compensating for external variations in beat-to-beat intervals of the heartbeat data;

performing a spectral analysis of the heartbeat data; and

displaying the spectral analysis.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the compensating includes compensating for jitter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the performing the spectral analysis includes:

creating a tachygram;

breaking the tachygram into intervals;

performing a frequency analysis on the R-R variations in each of the intervals;

mapping an amplitude of each frequency bin with each of the intervals to a color; and

displaying color-mapped amplitude of each interval side-by-side

18. A monitor device, comprising:

a direct heartbeat measurement module programmed to measure direct heartbeat data of an individual;

an indirect heartbeat measurement module programmed to measure indirect heartbeat data of the individual; and

a variability calculation module programmed to estimate heart rate variability based upon the direct heartbeat data from the direct heartbeat measurement module and the indirect heartbeat data from the indirect heartbeat measurement module.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein sources of the direct heartbeat data and the indirect heartbeat data are selected from:

ECG, SPO2, blood-pressure heart beat detection, pulse-pressure heart beat detection, and acoustic heart beat detection.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the variability calculation module is further programed to calculate and display heart rate variability data from at least one of the multiple beat sources.