Method and apparatus for observing heartbeat activity

• US 3,318,303 A
• Filed: 01/14/1965
• Issued: 05/09/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konrad Hammacher
• Original Assignee: Konrad Hammacher
• Inventors: KONRAD HAMMACHER
• Application Number:
  US04/429,193
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02411 of foetuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations by using a detector in a fluid G01H7/00, G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE HEARBEAT FREQUENCY COMPRISING:

SENSING MEANS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL OUTPUT SIGNALS REPRESENTATIVE OF PULSATING HEART ACTION;

A BANDPASS FILTER HAVING A PASSING RANGE WITH A LOWER FREQUENCY LIMIT OF ABOUT 30 CYCLES PER SECOND TO 55 CYCLES PER SECOND AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SENSING MEANS;

DISCRIMINATOR AND PULSE PRODUCING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FILTER AND RESPONSIVE TO AT LEAST TWO TIME-SEPARATED CHARACTERISTIC INFORMATION AS REPRESENTETED BY SAID OUTPUT SIGNALS AFTER PASSAGE THEREOF THROUGH SAID FILTER, AND AS OCCURRING DURING EACH HEART ACTION CYCLE, AND PRODUCING CORRESPONDING OUTPUT PULSES;

SEPARATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PULSE PRODUCING MEANS AND HAVING AT LEAST TWO OUTPUT CHANNELS FOR SEPARATING SAID MEASURING PULSES SO THAT EACH CHANNEL RECEIVES A SERIES OF OUTPUT PULSES WITH EACH PULSES OF ANY ONE SERIES CORRESPONDING TO ONE CHARACTERISTIC INFORMATION PER HEART ACTION CYCLE;

AND COMPARATOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHANNELS FOR MUTUALLY COMPARING THE PULSE RATES OF SAID SERIES.