System for plotting a miniature ECG
First Claim
1. A method of printing an analog waveform having a time variable comprising the steps of:
- converting said analog waveform into a time sequence of digitally expressed values;
forming predetermined groups of said digital data and determining maximum and minimum amplitude values of said digital data within said groups;
serially storing said maximum and minimum values;
moving a recording medium past a transversely oriented linear array of discrete recording elements; and
reading out in parallel in accordance with said serial stored values to said recording elements and actuating respective elements in parallel by said stored values at initial times and for time durations for each element that is a function of the stored maximum and minimum amplitude values for that element, wherein said waveform is recorded as a series of appropriately placed short parallel longitudinal lines to form in aggregate a transverse waveform display on said recording medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of printing an analog waveform having a time variable, such as an ECG by first converting the analog waveform into a time sequence of digitally expressed values, forming predetermined groups of digital data and then determining maximum and minimum amplitude values of the digital data within the groups. These values are stored in a line buffer memory. A recording medium advances past a transversely oriented linear array of discrete recording elements, such as a linear array dot printhead. The serial stored values are read out in parallel to each of the recording elements, with the elements actuated in parallel by the stored values at an initial time and for time durations for each element that is a function of the stored maximum and minimum amplitude values for that element. The waveform is recorded as a series of appropriately placed short parallel longitudinal lines to form in aggregate a transverse waveform display on the recording medium.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of printing an analog waveform having a time variable comprising the steps of:
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converting said analog waveform into a time sequence of digitally expressed values; forming predetermined groups of said digital data and determining maximum and minimum amplitude values of said digital data within said groups; serially storing said maximum and minimum values; moving a recording medium past a transversely oriented linear array of discrete recording elements; and reading out in parallel in accordance with said serial stored values to said recording elements and actuating respective elements in parallel by said stored values at initial times and for time durations for each element that is a function of the stored maximum and minimum amplitude values for that element, wherein said waveform is recorded as a series of appropriately placed short parallel longitudinal lines to form in aggregate a transverse waveform display on said recording medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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- 9. A method of plotting an ECG comprising the steps of dividing digitized ECG data into predetermined groups of data and plotting data derived from said groups as short adjacent linear segments having in the aggregate a direction representative of ECG time wherein said adjacent linear segments define a waveform train across a data recording medium running perpendicular to said waveform train time axis.
Specification