Method and apparatus for locating data characterizing blood flow through the heart

• US 4,217,642 A
• Filed: 09/13/1978
• Issued: 08/12/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verneil Richards
• Original Assignee: BIOS Corporation (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dam, Naim G., Picunko, Thomas, Kramer, Henry H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US05/941,903
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 364/415, 364/416, 364/515, 364/518, 364/521, 340/709, 340/710, 340/712, 340/722, 128/2.05 R, 128/2.05 F, 128/2.05 V, 128/691, 128/713, 355/5
• US Class Current: 600/526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits

Abstract

A method and improved apparatus for locating data of interest on a cathode ray tube display in a system for characterizing blood flow through the heart is disclosed. Apparatus comprising an adjustable cursor control circuit is utilized to generate a plurality of stable horizontal or vertical cursor lines on the cathode ray tube display thereby enhancing the user'"'"'s ability to locate data of interest.

Claims

1. The method of examining data concerning characteristics of the blood flowing through a heart comprising the steps of:

displaying a curve representing blood flow measurements as a function of time on a display tube,

generating at least one interrogating cursor line,

manually actuating a pulse train,

driving said cursor line with said pulse train,

positioning said cursor at a selected location on said display through said manual actuation,

automatically interrogating said curve where intercepted by said cursor, when said cursor is positioned at said selected location, to provide data,

computing the value of a predetermined parameter of a patient'"'"'s blood flow from said data, and

displaying said computed value of said predetermined parameter substantially simultaneous with the interrogation of said curve.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

repeating said steps of positioning, interrogating, computing and displaying at a number of selected positions on said display to thereby locate an optimum value of said predetermined parameter.

3. The method of examining data concerning characteristics of blood flowing through a heart comprising the steps of:

displaying a curve representing blood flow measurements as a function of time on a display tube,

generating a plurality of interrogating cursor lines,

driving each of said cursor lines with a separate pulse train, each of said pulse trains being separately manually actuated,

positioning each of said plurality of cursor lines at selected locations on said display,

automatically interrogating said curve where intercepted by each of said cursors positioned at said selected locations to provide data,

computing the value of a predetermined parameter of a patient'"'"'s blood flow from said data, and

displaying said computed value of a predetermined parameter substantially simultaneous with the interrogation of said curve.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

repeating said steps of positioning, interrogating, computing and displaying at a number of selected positions on said display to thereby locate an optimum value of said predetermined parameter.

5. Apparatus for locating and examining data characterizing blood flow through a heart comprising:

a display tube,

means for displaying a curve representing blood flow measurement as a function of time on the face of said display tube,

a manually actuated switch having an on state and an off state, said switch when in said on state generating a predetermined pulse train,

means for generating an interrogating cursor line on the face of said display tube,

means for driving said cursor line with said predetermined pulse train thereby positioning said cursor line with said manually actuated switch,

means for interrogating said curve at selected positions where intercepted by said cursor line to provide data,

means for computing the value of a predetermined parameter of a patient'"'"'s blood flow from said data, and

means for displaying said computed value of said predetermined parameter substantially simultaneous with the interrogation of said curve.

6. Apparatus for locating and examining data characterizing blood flow through the heart comprising:

a display tube,

means for displaying a curve representing blood flow measurements as a function of time on the face of said display tube,

means for generating a plurality of interrogating cursor lines on the face of said display tube,

a plurality of manually actuated switches,

each of said switches when actuated generating a predetermined pulse train,

means for driving each of said cursor lines with a separate one of said pulse trains to independently position each of said plurality of cursor lines in any selected position on said display through independent manual operation of said switches,

means for interrogating said curve at said selected positions where intercepted by said cursor lines to provide data,

means for computing the value of a predetermined parameter of a patient'"'"'s blood flow from said data, and

means for displaying said computed value of said predetermined parameter substantially simultaneous with the interrogation of said curve.