Compressed data display system

• US 3,893,453 A
• Filed: 02/11/1974
• Issued: 07/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Herbert E. Goldberg, Robert L. Cannon
• Inventors: Goldberg, Herbert E., Cannon, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/441,684
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.5Q,2.5R,2.6A,2.6B,2.6F,2.6G,2.6R,2.6V 346/33ME,63,68,79,101,103,112,138
• US Class Current: 600/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

A compressed data display system. There is disclosed a system for recording over extended periods of time EKG and other vital signs of a patient and for automatically displaying the waveforms in a compressed and readily interpretable manner. The EKG waveform is recorded on looped paper supported by and/or wrapped around rotatable drum or drums which may have cylindrical shape. The EKG is recorded in helical or spiral fashion by simultaneously rotating the drum and transversely moving a galvanometer pen in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drum or cylinder. After the paper is removed, if it is a continuous or closed loop, it can be slit and opened into a single sheet. The recorded EKG waveforms are thus displayed compressed in a line-over-line manner and provide the physician with a clear picture of the patient'"'"''"'"'s heart activity for extended periods of time.

Claims

1. A system for displaying vital signs of a patient, said system comprising:

means for sensing said vital signs and for providing analogous electrical signals, means for amplifying said electrical signals, a chassis, means axially-rotatably mounted to said chassis for providing a writing surface, looped paper fitted to and supported by said writing surface means, means supported by said chassis for rotating said writing surface means thereby advancing and re-cycling said paper, galvanometer pen means for scribing on said paper in scribing directions transverse to the direction of motion of said paper, means connected to said chassis for supporting said pen means and for translationally moving said pen means in one of said scribing directions from an initial position towards a final position, and means for extending said signals to said galvanometer pen means.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 and wherein said vital signs are the electrocardiogram of said patient.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 where said paper includes a heartbeat rate scale, said system further comprising means for providing an average heartbeat rate of said patient for a selectable period of time, means for generating a pen dithering signal, and means for momentarily disabling said extending means and for conducting said pen dithering signal to said galvanometer pen means when said pen is scribing on said paper at a point which corresponds on said heartbeat rate scale to said average heartbeat rate.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 and wherein said writing surface means comprises a cylinder having axially directed slit means in the surface of said cylinder and extending the entire length of said cylinder for receiving two substantially parallel edges of said paper and for clamping said edges to create a smooth overlapping of said paper around said cylinder.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 further comprising two electro-optical devices employed in the control of the operation of at least said rotating means and mounted on the periphery of said cylinder, said two devices being relatively angularly displaced by approximately 90*, one of two electro-optical devices being mounted adjacent said slit, and a third electro-optical device mounted on said chassis adjacent said periphery and in substantial alignment with the scribing point between said paper and said pen means and arranged to be in optical communication with each of said two electro-optical devices as each of said two electro-optical devices rotates adjacent said third electro-optical device.

6. A system as recited in claim 5 including means responsive to the optical communication between said third electro-optical device and said other of said two electro-optical devices for controlling speed of said rotating means when said other of said two electro-optical devices is adjacent said third electro-optical device.

7. A system as recited in claim 5 including means responsive to the optical communication between said third electro-optical device and said one of said two electro-optical devices for inhibiting operation of said rotating means and said translationally moving means when said one of said two electro-optical devices is adjacent said third electro-optical device.

8. A system as recited in claim 4 and wherein said cylinder means further comprises two switching devices mounted on the periphery of said cylinder, said two devices being relatively angularly displaced by approximately 90*, one of said two switching devices being mounted adjacent said slit, and a third switching device mounted on said chassis adjacent said periphery and in substantial alignment with the scribing point between said paper and said pen means and arranged to be in communication with each of said two switching devices as each of said two switching devices rotates adjacent said third switching device.

9. A system as recited in claim 1 and wherein said rotating means comprises an electrical motor and gear train means for connecting the rotational output of said motor to said rotatably mounted cylinder means.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 and wherein said supporting and translationally moving means comprises a rod fixedly supported by said chassis and disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cylinder means, carriage means slidably mounted to said rod for holding said galvanometer pen means, a lead screw rotatably mounted parallel to said rod and engaged with said carriage, and said motor and gear train means including additional means for connecting said rotational output of said motor to said lead screw whereby rotational motion of said lead screw causes translational motion of said carriage.

11. A system as recited in claim 10 comprising a microswitch fixedly attached to said chassis near one end of said rod and arranged to be operated by contact with said carriage means in said final position, and means responsive to operation of said microswitch for disabling said rotating means and said translationally moving means.

12. A system as recited in claim 10 comprising a switch fixedly attached to said chassis near one end of said rod and arranged to be operated by contact with said carriage means in said final position, and means responsive to operation of said switch for disabling said rotating means and said translationally moving means.

13. A system as recited in claim 1 and wherein said sensing means comprises a plurality of patient-connected sensors, said galvanometer pen means comprises a plurality of galvanometers, each of said plurality of galvanometers corresponding respectively to one of said plurality of sensors, each of said plurality of galvanometers having a respective pen, and means for extending each of said plurality of sensors to a respective one of said galvanometers.

14. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for generating pen means dithering signals, and manually operated means for momentarily disabling said extending means and for conducting said dithering signals to said pen means, whereby a dither mark is scribed on said paper at will.

15. A system as recited in claim 1 and wherein said rotating means includes means to provide a plurality of rotations of said cylinder means to correspond to the translational motion distance of said pen means in moving from said initial position to said final position.

16. A system for displaying vital signs of a patient, said system comprising means for sensing said vital signs and for providing analogous electrical signals, supporting means, a looped markable surface supported by said supporting means, means for advancing and recycling said surface about a first axis, and marking means responsive to said signals for coating said surface with representations of said signals in a helical path about said axis.

17. A system for displaying vital signs of a patient, said system comprising:

means for sensing said vital signs and for providing analogous electrical signals, means for amplifying said electrical signals, a chassis, means axially-rotatably mounted to said chassis for providing a writing surface, looped paper fitted to and supported by saId writing surface means, means supported by said chassis for rotating said writing surface means thereby advancing and re-cycling said paper, means for establishing a recording rotational speed range, means for controlling said rotating means to operate within said recording rotational speed range, galvanometer pen means for scribing on said paper in scribing directions transverse to the direction of motion of said paper, means for extending said signals to said galvanometer pen means, means connected to said chassis for supporting said pen means and for translationally moving said pen means in one of said scribing directions from an initial position towards a final position, means for establishing a recording translational speed range as a function of said recording rotational speed range to permit said pen means to scribe said looped paper with representations of said signals in a non-overlapping path, and means for controlling said supporting and translationally moving means to operate within said recording translational speed range.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said representations of said signals are scribed on said looped paper in a compressed manner.

19. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said writing surface means comprises a cylinder having axially directed slit means in the surface of said cylinder and extending the entire length of said cylinder for receiving two substantially parallel edges of said paper and for clamping said edges to create a smooth overlapping of said paper around said cylinder.

20. A system as recited in claim 17 further including manually-activated speed-control means for causing said rotating means and said translationally moving means to operate outside of said recording rotational speed range and said recording translational speed range respectively.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 and wherein said speed control means further comprises two electro-optical devices employed in the control of the operation of at least said rotating means and mounted on the periphery of said cylinder, said two devices being relatively angularly displaced by approximately 90*, one of said two electro-optical devices being mounted adjacent said slit, a third electro-optical device mounted on said chassis adjcent said periphery and in substantial alignment with the scribing point between said paper and said pen means, and means for controlling optical communication between each of said two electro-optical devices as each of said two electro-optical devices rotates adjacent said third electro-optical device.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 including means responsive to the optical communication between said third electro-optical device and said other of said two electro-optical devices for returning speed of said rotating means within said recording rotational speed range when said other of said two electro-optical devices is adjacent said third electro-optical device.

23. A system as recited in claim 21 including means responsive to the optical communication between said third electro-optical device and said one of said two electro-optical devices for inhibiting operation of said rotating means and sand translationally moving means when said one of said two electro-optical devices is adjacent said third electro-optical device.

24. A system is recited in claim 20 and wherein said speed control means further comprises two switching devices mounted on the periphery of said cylinder, said two devices being relatively angularly displaced by approximately 90*, one of said two switching devices being mounted adjacent said slit, and a third switching device mounted on said chassis adjacent said periphery and in substantial alignment with the scribing point between said paper and said pen means and arranged to be in communication with each of said two switching devices as each of said two switching devices rotates adjacent said third switching device.

25. A system as recited in claim 19 And wherein said rotating means includes means to provide a plurality of rotations of said writing surface means to correspond to the translational motion distance of said pen means in moving from said initial position to said final position.

26. A system as recited in claim 25 and wherein said recording rotational speed range establishing means permits said representations of said signals to be scribed on said paper in a compressed manner.

27. A system as recited in claim 26 further including manually-activated speed-control means for causing said rotating means and said translationally moving means to operate outside of said recording rotational speed range and said recording translational speed range respectively.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 and wherein said vital signs are the electrocardiogram of said patent.

29. A system as recited in claim 28 where said paper includes a heartbeat rate scale, said system further comprising means for providing an average heartbeat rate of said patient for a selectable period of time, means for generating a pen dithering signal, and means for monentarily disabling said extending means for conducting said pen dithering signal to said galvanometer pen means when said pen is scribing on said paper at a point which corresponds on said heartbeat rate scale to said average heartbeat rate.

30. A system as recited in claim 29 further comprising means for generating pen means dithering signals, and manually operated means for momentarily disabling said extending means and for conducting said dithering signals to said pen means, whereby a dither mark is scribed on said paper at will.

31. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said vital signs are the electrocardiogram of said patient.

32. A system as recited in claim 31 where said paper includes a heartbeat rate scale, said system further comprising means for providing an average heartbeat rate of said patient for a selectable period of time, means for generating a pen dithering signal, and means for momentarily disabling said extending means for conducting said pen dithering signal to said galvanometer pen means when said pen is scribing on said paper at a point which corresponds on said heartbeat rate scale to said average heartbeat rate.

33. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said rotating means comprises an electrical motor and gear train means for connecting the rotational output of said motor to said rotatably mounted cylinder means.

34. A system as recited in claim 33 and wherein said supporting and translationally moving means comprises a rod fixedly supported by said chassis and disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cylinder means, carriage means slidably mounted to said rod for holding said galvanometer pen means, a lead screw rotatably mounted parallel to said rod and engaged with said carriage, and said motor and gear train means including additional means for connecting said rotational output of said motor to said lead screw whereby rotational motion of said lead screw causes translational motion of said carriage.

35. A system as recited in claim 34 comprising a microswitch fixedly attached to said chassis near one end of said rod and arranged to be operated by contact with said carriage means in said final position, and means responsive to operation of said microswitch for disabling said rotating means and said translationally moving means.

36. A system as recited in claim 34 comprising a switch fixedly attached to said chassis near one end of said rod and arranged to be operated by contact with said carriage means in said final position, and means responsive to operation of said switch for disabling said rotating means and said translationally moving means.

37. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said sensing means comprises a plurality of patient-connected sensors, said galvanometer pen means comprises a plurality of galvanometers, each of said plurality of galvanometers correSponding respectively to one of said plurality of sensors, each of said plurality of galvanometers having a respective pen, and means for extending each of said plurality of sensors to a respective one of said galvanometers.

38. A system as recited in claim 17 further comprising means for generating pen means dithering signals, and manually operated means for monentarily disabling said extending means and for conducting said dithering signals to said pen means, whereby a dither mark is scribed on said paper at will.

39. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said rotating means includes means to provide a plurality of rotations of said writing surface means to correspond to the translational motion distance of said pen means in moving from said initial position to said final position.

40. A system as recited in claim 17 and wherein said recording rotational speed range establishing means permits said representations of said signals to be scribed on said paper in a compressed manner.