METHOD AND SYSTEM TO DISCRIMINATE RHYTHM PATTERNS IN CARDIAC ACTIVITY

• US 20170281032A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Weinberg, Lisa P., Toutam, Pritika
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6869 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for discriminating rhythm patterns in cardiac activity. The method and system obtain cardiac activity data for multiple cardiac beats over a predetermined period of time. Multi-beat segments within the cardiac activity data exhibit different rhythm patterns of interest including fast and slow rhythm patterns. The method and system calculate a cardiac beats timing relation representative of intervals between the cardiac beats within a measurement window, wherein the measurement window is configured to overlap the corresponding multi-beat segment. The method and system designate the cardiac beats timing relation to have one of the rhythm patterns of interest based on a rate threshold, identifies when successive multi-beat segments exhibit rhythm patterns that transition between the fast and slow irregular rhythm patterns and records the irregular rhythm pattern transition in connection with the cardiac activity data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for discriminating rhythm patterns;

and rhythm patterns in cardiac activity, comprising;

under control of one or more processors configured with specific executable instructions,

obtaining cardiac activity data for multiple cardiac beats over a predetermined period of time, wherein multi-beat segments within the cardiac activity data exhibit different rhythm patterns of interest including fast and slow irregular rhythm patterns;

calculating a cardiac beat timing relation representative of intervals between the cardiac beats within a measurement window;

designating the cardiac beats timing relation to have one of the rhythm patterns of interest based on a rate threshold;

identifying when successive multi-beat segments exhibit a rhythm pattern transition between the fast and slow irregular

recording the rhythm patterns transition in connection with the cardiac activity data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the rhythm patterns transition, declaring the cardiac activity data to exhibit a Tachy-Brady episode and recording information indicative of the Tachy-Brady episode in connection with the cardiac activity data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising declaring the cardiac activity data to exhibit a Tachy-Brady episode when at least two rhythm patterns transitions are identified between the fast and slow irregular rhythm patterns.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the successive multi-beat segments include first and second multi-beat segments, the first multi-beat segment having one of the fast or slow irregular rhythm patterns, the second multi-beat segment having another of the fast or slow irregular rhythm patterns.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the cardiac activity data on a display as an electrocardiogram signal over time, and displaying a Tachy-Brady episode marker at a point along the electrocardiogram signal corresponding to the rhythm patterns transition between the fast and slow irregular rhythm patterns.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rhythm patterns transition represents a change from a first multi-beat segment having a slow irregular rhythm pattern to a second multi-beat segment having a fast irregular rhythm pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rhythm patterns transition represents a change from a first multi-beat segment having a fast irregular rhythm pattern to a second multi-beat segment having a slow irregular rhythm pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a plurality of rhythm patterns transitions over time and based thereon calculating and displaying a Tachy-Brady burden associated with the cardiac activity data, the Tachy-Brady burden representing an amount of time, during which the cardiac activity data experiences Tachy-Brady episodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating operation includes determining an interval average for beat to beat intervals associated with the multi-beat segment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the designating operation includes comparing the cardiac beats timing relation to the rate threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate threshold includes a bradycardia threshold and a tachycardia threshold, the designating operation includes comparing the cardiac beats timing relation to at least one of the bradycardia or tachycardia thresholds in connection with designating the current cardiac beats timing relation to represent a fast, normal or slow irregular rhythm pattern.

12. A system for discriminating rhythm patterns in cardiac activity, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to;

obtain cardiac activity data for multiple cardiac beats over a predetermined period of time, wherein multi-beat segments within the cardiac activity data exhibit different rhythm patterns of interest including fast and slow irregular rhythm patterns;

calculate a cardiac beat timing relation representative of intervals between the cardiac beats within a measurement window, wherein the measurement window is configured to overlap the corresponding multi-beat segment;

designate the cardiac beats timing relation to have one of the rhythm patterns of interest based on a rate threshold;

identify when successive multi-beat segments exhibit an rhythm patterns transition between the fast and slow rhythm patterns; and

record the rhythm patterns transition in connection with the cardiac activity data,

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an implantable cardiac monitoring device that houses the at least one processor and memory therein, the cardiac monitoring device further comprises electrodes to sense the cardiac activity data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory, within the cardiac rhythm monitoring device, comprises a Tachy-Brady tracking segment configured to store flags in connection with each of the multi-beat segments, the flags designating the corresponding multi-beat segments to represent a fast rhythm pattern or a slow rhythm pattern.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory includes a Tachy-Brady episode segment that is configured to store information in connection with Tachy-Brady episodes.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to declare the cardiac activity data to exhibit a Tachy-Brady episode and the memory is configured to record information indicative of the Tachy-Brady episode in connection with the cardiac activity data.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to calculate, from a plurality of rhythm patterns transitions occurring over time, a Tachy-Brady burden exhibited within the cardiac activity data.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display configured to display a Tachy-Brady EGM with Tachy-Brady markers indicting transition points in the cardiac activity data.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display configured to display a Tachy-Brady burden representing an amount of time, during which the cardiac activity data experienced Tachy-Brady episodes.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display configured to display a Tachy-Brady Daily burden representing the start times of the episodes and the amount of time in Tachy-Brady at those start times, during which the cardiac activity data experienced Tachy-Brady episodes.