Artifact detector for heartbeat rate measuring system
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for monitoring an EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate, comprising:
- first and second electrodes adapted to contact a patient and transmit an EKG signal indicative of heartbeat activity;
heart rate means, connected to the first and second electrodes, for monitoring the EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate;
artifact detection means for monitoring the EKG signal to detect the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts therein and for producing a corresponding inhibit signal; and
means for inhibiting the heart rate means in response to the inhibit signal, whereby the estimate of heartbeat rate is substantially unaffected by the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts.
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Abstract
A heartbeat rate measuring system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate. The system includes an artifact detection apparatus for filtering the EKG signal to detect the occurrence of a heartbeat artifact, and for inhibiting the measuring heartbeat intervals whenever an artifact is detected. The system therefore estimates heartbeat rate based solely on measurements of time intervals between actual heartbeats.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. Apparatus for monitoring an EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate, comprising:
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first and second electrodes adapted to contact a patient and transmit an EKG signal indicative of heartbeat activity; heart rate means, connected to the first and second electrodes, for monitoring the EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate; artifact detection means for monitoring the EKG signal to detect the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts therein and for producing a corresponding inhibit signal; and means for inhibiting the heart rate means in response to the inhibit signal, whereby the estimate of heartbeat rate is substantially unaffected by the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for monitoring an EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate, comprising:
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first and second electrodes adapted to contact a patient and transmit an EKG signal indicative of heartbeat activity, one of the electrodes being adapted to be placed in the mouth of the patient; heart rate means, connected to the first and second electrodes, for measuring the time intervals between successive heartbeats present in the EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate based on a plurality of such time interval measurements; artifact detection means for monitoring the EKG signal to detect the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts therein and for producing a corresponding inhibit signal; wherein the frequency spectrum of any heartbeat artifacts present in the EKG signal overlaps the frequency spectrum of the actual heartbeats; wherein the artifact detection means includes bandpass filter means having a bandwidth of about one Hz to about five Hz, for filtering the EKG signal to pass only the portion of the frequency spectrum of the heartbeat artifacts not common to the frequency spectrum of the actual heartbeats, and means for producing the inhibit signal whenever the amplitude of the filtered EKG signal exceeds a prescribed threshold; and means for inhibiting the heart rate means from measuring the current heartbeat interval if the inhibit signal occurs at any time between the successive heartbeats, whereby the estimate of heartbeat rate is substantially unaffected by the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts.
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7. A method for monitoring an EKG signal and estimating heartbeat rate, comprising steps of:
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connecting first and second electrodes to a patient, for transmitting an EKG signal indicative of heartbeat activity; estimating heartbeat rate based on the EKG signal present on the first and second electrodes; detecting the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts in the EKG signal and producing a corresponding inhibit signal; and inhibiting the step of estimating in response to the inhibit signal, whereby the estimate of heartbeat rate is substantially unaffected by the occurrence of heartbeat artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification